Children of Spira and Earth
by Upir
Summary: Sequel to Auron Falls. Auron and Leilani's children are growing fast, along with Tidus & Yuna's triplets and Wakka & Lulu's son. Everything seems to be great until their children decide to take a trip through Spira... T for language and intended audience. Abandoned.
1. Our story begins

Leilani was standing at the kitchen counter, leaning up into the cupboard and grabbing the peanut butter. As soon as she set it down, her son, Alex, turned the corner and grimaced.

"I hate that stuff, mom, it sticks to the roof of my mouth."

Leilani huffed.

"Well, we're all out of lunchmeat. You can thank your friend Phil for that."

Alex snickered. "We're teenagers, mom, what do you expect?"

Leilani tousled his spiky black hair. "From you, fine, but I'd expect your friend to have enough respect for us _not_ to eat the rest of the turkey."

Alex shrugged and rooted through the fridge.

"You can just give me jelly."

"No," she laughed.

"Hey mom!" burst Leiko, Alex's little sister.

"Hey, peanut butter and jelly okay for lunch?" Leilani asked her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Your brother's being a snob."

"Mom," he groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Here," she said, holding out some dollar bills from her pocket. "You can buy a sandwich, but you need to bring the rest. It's the start of spring break tomorrow, anyway."

Alex grabbed the money happily and tried to run off, Leiko chasing and arguing to share.

"Get Leiko a snack if she wants one, too!" she yelled after them, finishing the sandwich for her. She packed it into the bag with carrots and a green tea bottle, putting it on the table. She heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and smiled. A few seconds later, her husband turned the corner, his salt and pepper hair mussed with sleep and his one good eye bloodshot.

"Morning," he grumbled. She kissed his scarred right cheek.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked.

Leilani rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic. We've been married almost 20 years and you still can't make your own breakfast?"

He smiled groggily and shook his head. Leilani sighed lightly and returned to the kitchen.

"Bye Mom!" their kids said in unison, heading out the door for the bus.

"Wait, your lunches!"

"We've got money!" yelled Alex.

"But school lunch isn't healthy…!"

But they had already run out the door to catch the bus.

"Dammit."

Auron chuckled.

"They get that from you, you know."

"Do not," she said defensively.

"Yes, I'm the stubborn one," he mocked.

There was silence for a minute.

"Well, they get their energy to be stubborn from you, anyway," he said.


	2. Thinking of Spira

Alex and Leiko sat down on opposite seats, facing each other. The bus wasn't that full, and they would rather sit with someone else than together. It was _weird_ for brothers and sisters to sit in the same seat.

"At least we don't have to share rooms," Leiko said, pocketing some of the money Alex gave her for lunch.

"Yeah, but we have to share the same house, school, bus…"

Leiko made a face. She had long, curly brown hair like her mother, but her eyes were a sharp and commanding brown, like her father's. Alex made a face back. He had black, spiky hair, like his father, but his eyes were a softer brown, like his mother's. The bus stopped and a tall, gangly boy with long blonde hair sat next to Alex.

"What's up, Phil?"

"Not much, bro, you?"

"My mom gave me lunch money because you ate all my turkey."

"Sweet! So it worked!"

"Damn straight!"

They high-fived each other.

"You did it on purpose?" Leiko hissed.

"Yeah," he bragged, but his smug look suddenly darkened. "You're not gonna tell her, are you?"

"Not now that you shared," she said gesturing to the money in her pocket. "But you won't be able to pull that stunt twice."

"Yeah, Dad'll catch on."

Phil shuddered. "Your dad scares me," he said.

"Why?" asked Leiko, incredulous.

"That scar, man! What'd he get in a knife fight?"

"Uh… something like that," said Alex, with a knowing look at Leiko.

In truth, their father had been struck by a woman named Lady Yunalesca. She had blinded and scarred his right eye in a fight. Although their father had come from a completely different world, he had fallen into their mother's almost 20 years before. They had gone through ordeals in their father's land, Spira, and ended up coming back here to live. They had been to Spira, before, though not often. Their parents' friends mostly came over on weekends, bringing their children with them. First, there were Yuna and Tidus' triplets: two boys, Jecht and Braska, and a daughter, Aura. Jecht had long, choppy brown hair and eyes, not to mention somewhat of a chip on his shoulder and an adventurous attitude. Braska had dirty blonde hair and deep, crystal blue eyes, and loved to laugh. He had a penchant for trouble, like Jecht, but never seemed to go looking for it like his brother. Aura, however, was different. She had the same brown hair as Jecht, but she also had beautiful green eyes that never seemed to end. She was quiet and pensive, and although she was technically the youngest of the three, and her brothers tried to protect her, she simply radiated a strong sense of power and dignity far beyond her years. She wasn't talkative, but she was still friendly… when she didn't feel like she had some sort of mission to accomplish, anyway. Leiko saw her as her best friend.

Then, there was Wakka and Lulu's son, Vidina. He was the oldest out of all of them by almost 3 years, and they all looked up to him as a sort of leader. He resembled his father, Wakka, with broad shoulders, toned muscles, and orange hair that curled up from his widow's peak and over his head like a dreamy feather. He also played Blitzball for the Besaid Aurochs, like Wakka had, but was more successful than his father. He was kind, and playful, and laughed as much as Braska. He had the typical Besaid Island accent, which to Leiko was Hawaiian. She had always felt an odd sort of connection to him, and she wasn't quite sure of what it was. She supposed that since her and her mother's names were Hawaiian, and the people and island of Besaid so strongly resembled the state, it was comforting and familiar and… she didn't dare admit this to anyone… _exotic_.

"You ok?"

"Huh?"

Leiko had been daydreaming again and Alex was looking at her in concern.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." When he still stared at her, she rolled her eyes and explained, "Test today."

Alex made a face and turned back to his friend Phil. They continued chatting until they reached school.


	3. Vidina and the Triplets

When the kids arrived home after their extra-curricular activities (Alex was learning to play the drums and Leiko was in chorus), it was to find their mother and father had gone out, leaving behind $50 and a note.

_Kids:_

_Dad and I went to dinner and a movie (you wouldn't like it, it's mushy). There's money  
for pizza and soda here on the table. I have my phone on if you need anything. Please  
don't stay up too late and BEHAVE!_

_Love,  
Mom_

They read it twice and Alex set the note down on the table slowly.

"Nice," he smirked.

"What toppings do you want?" asked Leiko, reaching for the phone.  
"Forget pizza," Alex said sneakily.

"What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly suspicious.

Although Alex was older than her by less than a year, he had much more of a knack for trouble and mischief than Leiko did. She frowned and put her hands on her hips.

"If Mom and Dad come back and catch us doing anything…," she started.

"They won't! Here..."

Alex scribbled something down on the other side of the paper. He showed it to Leiko.

_Mom and Dad,_

_Leiko and I went to eat pizza at the place downtown, and don't worry, we'll be careful!_

_Love,  
Alex_

Leiko scowled even harder.

"Where are we really going?"

"Spira," he whispered.

"Are you crazy?!" she screeched. "If Mom and Dad find out…"

"Mom and Dad won't! We'll stay out of sight there and no one will be the wiser!"  
"What if they come looking for us?"  
"There are like 12 pizza places downtown, are they really going to check each one? No!"

Leiko shook her head.

"It's not right."

"Who cares? You'll have fun!"

He tried to grab her arm, but she stepped back, looking him in the eyes.

"Who said I'm going with you?"

The smile faded away from Alex's face in an instant.

"If you don't, I'm screwed. They'd freak if they found out I went _anywhere_ by myself, let alone Spira."

"Hmm, then you think that maybe you _shouldn't_?"

Alex stepped towards her.

"C'mon, sis, please?" he begged. She looked away, and Alex smirked again. "You can see Vidina."

She whipped towards him and was about to snap, but he grabbed her arm and led her towards the familiar place in the trees. They found the huge, gnarled old maple tree and looked around, just in case. Leaning onto it carefully, they sank inside, and instantly fell down, through white mist. Just as quickly as it had happened, they were on their feet on a sandy shore, water soaking their sneakers and the hems of their jeans. Alex bent over, examining the water in the moonlight, his eyebrows knit together in curiosity.

"What is it?" whispered Leiko. Alex splashed water up into her face and ran off, laughing.

"Jerk!" she cried, giving chase.

When they reached the small jungle connected to the beach, they slowed down, but Alex continued to run up the dirt pathway. It was dark and quiet, and Leiko was suddenly afraid. She knew that there were fiends here, dangerous ones, and if they weren't close enough to the village…

Suddenly, something large and tall tackled Alex and began wrestling with him. Leiko yelped, running over, and began beating on the beast's back. The thing grunted angrily and backed away, and Leiko held up a fist to its face. Fire suddenly broke out in front of her, and she gasped, falling backwards. When she looked up, it was not into the mouth of a monster, but rather the amused face of Lulu and Wakka's son, Vidina. He threw his head back and laughed, his muscular chest shaking. He held out the hand that was not holding the fiery blitzball to Leiko and she took it, blushing, thankful for the darkness.

"You're tough!" he said, pulling her up, his accent thick and beautiful.

"I thought you killed my brother!" she laughed nervously, dusting herself off.

Vidina helped up Alex, too, giving him a one-handed noogie immediately afterwards.

"Nah, not yet, anyway." He grinned and her stomach turned pleasantly. "So what're you two doin' here?"

"Mom and Dad went out, so we're just… hangin'," Alex said smoothly.

"Oh, you two should come down to the village then, ya? Everyone's kind of havin' this party, you know, I just went to check for fiends. Can't have any gate-crashers, ya?" Vidina looked over at Leiko with a smooth smile and she grinned back, giggling stupidly. He didn't seem to notice, however, and instead, gestured for them to follow him, holding his engulfed blitzball like a torch.

"But if your parents see us…," started Alex.

Vidina turned around, concerned.

"They don't know you're here?"

"They went out, you know," tried Alex, but Vidina shook a warning finger at him.

"You should be setting a good example for your sister!"

Both Leiko and Alex were angry.

"I am not a child!" she shot.

"And since when have you been the epitome of adult behavior?" yelled Alex.

Vidina seemed to think it over. He was older than Alex by about two years, and older than Leiko by almost three. As the oldest of the "group," he seemed to think it was his responsibility to keep everybody in line. His father, Wakka, had a deep set of morals and values that he no doubt instilled in Vidina every day since he was born. Even his name meant "Future" in the language of the Al-Bhed, a then-hated but slowly integrated group of people seen as heretics and blasphemers by the old Yevon religion of Spira. Most machina had been forbidden then… now, things had changed only a little. It was tough for technology to take hold in small villages that had been unchanged for a thousand years. Vidina sighed and hung his head.

"Let me get the others, k? I'll ask my dad to go hang out with them, and see if someone else can take over the fiend-hunting. It's someone else's turn now, anyway, otherwise you guys would have to wait. I have a duty to this village, too, you know?"

Alex nodded, gesturing for him to get on with it, but Vidina smirked.

"Stay here," he shouted as he ran towards the village, his blitzball still glowing through the trees.

Leiko sat down on a rock. Alex laughed.

"Nice one, sis." He mocked her foolish giggle.

"Shut up, asswipe."

"OOH! I'm telling Mom!" he joked, and she kicked dirt at him.

They mostly sat in silence for almost ten minutes until they heard some branches snap. They looked up, tense, ready to run, but several familiar voices floated through the trees.

"I think we should go dive into the lake!" shouted an excited male.

"No, we should go fiend-hunting!" shouted another.

"We should probably use our heads," said a calm female. "Doing either of those could mean serious trouble…"

"I think you should all just stop arguing!" snapped Vidina. "For siblings you guys never get along!"

"Shut up," said the female.

Soon, Vidina's fiery blitzball was visible and, along with it, the faces of Braska, Jecht, and Aura, who were Tidus and Yuna's triplets. Braska and Jecht were in the middle of harassing their sister, making mocking faces at her, while she tried her best to scowl and ignore them. A slight smile crept across her face, however, and her brothers stopped, satisfied. Leiko rushed forward to hug her, and they embraced, as friends do, laughing and excited. Their brothers started making stupid noises and the girls rolled their eyes, disdaining the difficulty of having teenage brothers. Vidina looked apologetically towards Leiko, and she blushed, again grateful that it was nighttime. The group began walking back towards the shore where Alex and Leiko had appeared, chatting about small past events in their lives. When they finally reached the sand, they sat and looked out at the sea and stars.


	4. Found out

Leilani and Auron walked through the front door, stepping lightly in the darkness. Auron reached over and flicked on the light, examining the room. Leilani sniffed the air, and he gave her an odd look.

"It doesn't smell like pizza," she explained.

Auron nodded.

"The house is still clean, too," he said.

They looked at the clock… it was 20 past midnight. Leilani turned on the dining room light. She saw their children's note on the table and read it… underneath her hand was the $50 bill. She gave Auron a meaningful look and he scowled.


	5. Going home

Braska and Jecht stretched, putting their fists into the other's face. Braska leaned away, laughing, and Jecht shoved him as he did so, knocking his brother's mouth into the sand. Braska spit it out, angrily wiping his mouth, and glared at Jecht. He ran off towards the woods, Braska chasing after him and cursing between spitting mouthfuls of sand. Aura rolled her eyes and ran, too, yelling words of furious caution. Vidina chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Kids," he said, shrugging.

"Hey," teased Leiko, kicking a little sand onto his feet.

He watched her do this, then made eye contact, his smile disappearing a little. Leiko was suddenly embarrassed. Why did he stop smiling? Was he mad? She looked to her brother, who had not seen their interaction, but instead had been watching a small boat on the horizon, visible only by a lantern hanging above the deck. He sighed. Suddenly, a cold wind blew across shore, sending sand and shivers down their backs. They got up wearily, stretching. It must be late by now, they had been chatting on the beach for hours. Alex wondered if his and Leiko's parents were home. Leiko yawned.

"We should head back," said Alex.

Leiko's eyes flew open and she shook her head violently.

"I'm not tired!" she yelped, but could not stifle a second yawn.

Vidina laughed a little.

"So much for that argument," he said. She smiled ruefully. Alex put his hand on her shoulder and led her back to the shore. The triplets had appeared at the edge of the forest again. They all waved goodbye as Alex and Leiko headed through the portal back home.


	6. Argument

The two of them walked carefully in through the front door, making sure not to turn on any lights or step on any of the familiar spots of the floor that creaked. They had just reached the stairs when a light clicked on from above. They looked up the staircase to see their mother and father, both with their arms crossed and wearing identical frowns. They walked down the stairs and led them to the dining room table, forcing them to sit while they remained standing, arms still folded angrily across their chests. Alex decided to try and cut the tension.

"Look, sorry we were out so late, but we decided to hit the park after pizza…"

"Oh, where'd you go?" said their mother.

"Uh," stuttered Alex, "I just told you, pizza and then the park…"

"What parlor?"

"M-Mario… No, Maria's. We went to Maria's."

"What'd you get?" she asked.

Alex was confused by this questioning. Were they concerned if they ate healthy or not?

"Um… pizza," he answered.

"Two slices each," added Leiko. "We didn't want to carry the rest of a pie home."

"Oh, ok," said their mother, unconvinced. She paused. "Did they have a flood?"

"What?" Alex made the mistake of laughing.

Their father finally stepped forward and pointed calmly, yet dangerously, to the hems of their jeans. They were _wet._ Alex thought quickly.

"We dipped our feet in the pond. They hurt from walking all that distance downtown. I mean, it _is_ almost a mile."

Their father raised his eyebrows and reached into his pocket. He procured a $50 bill. Alex closed his eyes in defeat and Leiko's face fell.

"Idiot," she groaned.

"Where did you go?" their mother snapped.

Alex and Leiko hung their heads for a few seconds, giving each other looks.

"Out with it," their mom demanded.

"We went to Spira," said Leiko, still looking at the floor.

"But it was my idea," added Alex quickly. Leiko gave him a grateful smile.

"It was a foolish one," their father said quietly. He was now leaning with his back against the wall, his arms still folded. He always seemed so calm, even when everyone knew he wasn't. He took a breath and continued, "It's dangerous there, especially at night. The fiends there would make short work of anyone, let alone two inexperienced children."

"We're not chil…," tried Alex, but their father stepped forward dangerously and continued talking.

"You endangered not only yourself but also your sister!"

"But Vidina and the triplets were there!" argued Leiko.

"Then you endangered them, as well!"  
"There were six of us!" shot Alex. "I'm sure we could have taken on a fiend with _no problem."_

"With what weapons?"

Alex and Leiko couldn't argue with that. They looked back down to the floor.

"Bed," barked their father. "Now."

They did not need to be told twice. They scampered up the stairs to brush their teeth quickly before their parents came back up the steps. Usually after reprimanding their kids they would sit down and talk. Alex and Leiko hated those talks when they used to listen in… Their parents always sounded so _disappointed_ in them.

Auron ran his fingers through his severely grayed hair, shaking it as he did so. Leilani forced him to sit down, putting her hands on his shoulders and rubbing them. He sighed.

"We trusted them," he grumbled.

"Maybe we need to be stricter?"

Auron shook his head again, deep in thought.

"Do you remember when you first came to Spira?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," said Leilani, a little taken aback. "But why…?"

"When you got into trouble, I was almost always there for you."

Leilani giggled and kissed him.

"You were my knight in a shining red coat."

Auron smiled, but went on.

"When we got into a fight, and you got attacked, I didn't get there until it was almost too late. Do you remember what we did the next day?"

Leilani frowned a little, incredulous.

"You're not serious?" she sneered.

Auron gave her a significant look.

"I think it's time, don't you?"

"No! What if they hurt themselves?"

"I think they'd be more hurt if a fiend attacked them."

"Well then maybe they shouldn't be going to Spira unaccompanied!"

"Alex had a good point. They _were_ together. And they do have Vidina and the triplets."

Leilani was unconvinced.

"Auron, you're talking about putting dangerous weapons in the hands of _teenagers._ Are you _serious?"_

"Most were teenagers when they decided to attack Sin."

"And they died doing so."

"Because they thought that there was no other way!"

"They even died on the journeys!"

"Do you really think our children are going to be making a pilgrimage to defeat a gigantic monster just because they have weapons?"

Leilani turned away, furious. She didn't want them to get hurt. Couldn't Auron see that?

He stood up and held her.

"They'll be fine," he whispered.

"You don't know that."

"They will." He looked into her eyes. "Trust me."


	7. What's best

"Morning, sweetie."

Leiko turned over in her bed. Her mother was standing over her, her hand on her shoulder, shaking her awake.

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked groggily. "Mom, it's the start of spring break. I wanted to sleep in."

"Just be happy you're not in as much trouble," she warned.

Leiko sat straight up. She had almost forgotten about last night. She looked up at her mother cautiously.

"Get up, your dad and I want to talk to you and Alex."

Leiko grimaced.

"Don't worry, don't worry, it's not as bad as you think," she said, somehow distant. She left and Leiko got dressed. When she stepped outside of her door, it was to find Alex leaning halfway down the steps, straining to listen in on the conversation downstairs. Leiko gave a small cough and he jumped. His eyes were bloodshot and there were bags underneath them. He shot a scathing look at his sister.

"You scared me," he whispered.

"Yeah well maybe you deserve it. You shouldn't be listening in."

"I'm just making sure we aren't walking into a minefield," he said.

"It's wrong," Leiko tried to argue, but her curious face betrayed her. Alex sneered in delight.

"They're just talking about going to a market in Spira," he said.

"Do you know which one?"

"Maybe if you two get down here we could tell you!" shouted their mother.

They begrudgingly walked downstairs with guilty faces on. Their father was sitting at the dining room table, resting his chin in his hands, while their mother was sitting next to him, her legs jumping up and down. It was a nervous habit of hers. Their father gazed at them wearily. He looked as tired as Alex.

"I suppose you've heard where we're going today," he said.

They simply nodded. He continued.

"I also suppose it's good that you've taken an interest in where I came from, but…" He paused for a second, then gave them a calculating look. "I doubt that's why you're really going there."

They shuffled their feet, looking at the floor. Their father was right, as always.

"It's just… we have friends there too, you know?" said Leiko.

"Vidina, Braska, Jecht and I love Blitzball, and Leiko and Aura like to hang out. What's the harm? We're not doing anything," argued Alex.

Their mother closed her eyes in thought. "We're not really objecting to you going there, so much, it's just that… it's…" She looked at them with concern. "It's dangerous."

"We want to get you weapons," their father blurted.

Of all things, they were not expecting to go to Spira for that.

"Weapons?" Alex whined, worry and hope in his voice at the same time.

Their parents nodded.

"What kind of weapons?" asked Leiko.

"Defense, I'd prefer. I don't think you should buy fiend-hunting tools," their dad said.

The kids looked to their mother.

"Your father knows Spira more than any of us here. If it's what he thinks is right," she hesitated, clearly worried. "I'll support it."

Leiko and Alex gave high-fives, whooping, but their joy was short-lived. Their father stood up and looked them in the eyes.

"We're coming with you," he said.

The kids groaned.


	8. The Smith

When they arrived on the shore of Spira - one hand holding their pants up and one hand holding their shoes – it was to find an overcast sky and choppy waters. They ran quickly onto the sand and up to the jungle, putting their shoes on before entering. Auron was a fast walker, and his wife and children had a hard time keeping up with him. Leilani jogged up next to him, whispering as best as she could while out of breath. Auron looked back at their children and whispered something to Leilani. Alex and Leiko gave confused looks, but nothing had been clarified by the time they reached the village. Their parents led them into an old, patched hut, closing the curtain behind them. There was a short, squat man with thin, silver hair that wrapped around a shining bald spot on top of his head. He was struggling with a heavy axe, attempting (and failing) to hang it from a wooden stand. Leilani stepped forward and grabbed the hilt just below the blade, bringing it up and balancing it on the post. The squat man turned to her and glowered, but when she looked down and smiled, he bellowed with laughter and clapped her on the back.

"Been some time, ya? Haven't seen you in here since you came back looking for your old weapon!"

The kids gave each other confused looks again. Who was this man?

He turned his fat, greedy face towards Auron. He smiled too, and slowly reached his hand forward, but the man smacked Auron hard in the back, as well. He grimaced, but kept his smile.

"And you, Sir Auron… haven't seen you since… well… only been a coupla years, ya?"

He looked over to Alex and Leiko, who were practically huddling in a corner.

Leilani introduced them, pushing them forward as she did so.

"This is Alex, our oldest, he's seventeen."

The man mercifully decided to shake his hand.

"And this is Leiko, our daughter, she's sixteen."

Leiko smiled nervously and held out her hand, expecting to shake the man's, but he grabbed hers gently and kissed it. She smiled politely but wiped the back of her hand on the her shirt when the man wasn't looking.

"So, the whole Akuji family's here, ya? What can I do today?"

"The kids are here to get their own weapons," their mother explained.

The man's grin spread even wider in clear joy.

"I love the thrill of a challenge! What did you have in mind?"

"Defense," muttered Auron.

"Ah you said that when your wife was here for the first time! What did you really have in mind?"

"Defense," asserted Leilani, giving the man a powerful look. Auron looked highly affronted, having just been upstaged by his wife. The man nodded in near disappointment, but shuffled over to several weapons near the front of the store. He held a spear in his hand, rather plain-looking, but long and sharp. He handed it to Alex, who nearly dropped it. It was much heavier than it looked.

"Careful, now!" the man warned.

Alex stood examining the spear while the man rooted through more weapons, finally procuring a beautiful wooden staff decorated with feathers, gems, and ribbons. Leiko looked at it longingly, and the man handed it to her. When she grasped it, however, running her fingers along the shaft, she felt a strange sort of emptiness. Alex must have felt the same about his weapon, too, because he held it out with a disappointed face. The man looked to each of them, but neither enjoyed his pick of weaponry. He placed them back with a disgruntled sigh, mumbling to himself. Leiko looked back to her mother, who gave a distant smile, and then to her father, who looked withdrawn and pensive.

"Here ya go," snapped the man, handing an axe to Alex and a strange stuffed cat to Leiko. They immediately handed them back. Finally, after several more fruitless tries, the man haphazardly shoved a small mace into Alex's hands and a thick sword into Leiko's before looking back to the shelf again. The two looked at each other for a brief second before switching weapons and smiling happily. Alex swished his blade lightly, being careful not to hit anything, while Leiko twirled the ball-and-chain slowly in a circle beneath the handle. The man turned around, frowning, but Auron stepped forward, holding out a pouch that bulged and jingled. The man took it quickly and shook Auron's hand, then bowed to Leilani and the kids.

"Been nice doin' business again!" he said happily.

"But those weapons aren't exactly defen…," tried Leilani, but Auron cut her off, asserting himself after Leilani's previous display of power.

"They'll do fine, thank you again," he said, walking out and leading his children with him. Leilani followed grouchily, crossing her arms, looking distastefully at the weapons now in the hands of her two children.


	9. Talk on the Beach

Ten minutes later, Alex was swinging his sword on the beach behind the former temple, light rain pinging against the metal. Leiko merely stood, examining the mace, too scared and nervous to really do anything with it. Soon, Braska, Jecht, and Aura appeared, carrying their own weapons. They had heard the news, and while all of their parents talked, the friends decided to take the opportunity and spend time together. Jecht smirked, pulling a very large, heavy axe from behind his back and brandishing it eagerly. Braska smoothly pulled his bow up and shot an arrow into a nearby tree. Aura scowled and disintegrated it, using a small, plush moogle with an adorable, rodent-like face. The weapons, especially those used for fiend-hunting, had advanced greatly in the past several years. While the three boys stood bragging about their weapons, Aura sat down next to Leiko, who was watching the entrance to the village eagerly.

"He's still with his dad," said Aura in a hushed tone.

Leiko looked around, alarmed, making sure none of the boys heard. She gave Aura a reprimanding look, but said, "He's probably not even coming."

"He has a lot of responsibilities," soothed Aura.

"All the more reason he won't pay attention to me."

"Nonsense. If it's meant to be, then it will be. There's no use fretting over it."

"But it's like dying of thirst with a glass of water right in front of you!"

"He talks to you!"

"Yeah, and it's like getting a couple of drops from the glass, but then you feel thirstier than you did before."

Aura sighed.

"Stop pining and let me see your weapon."

Leiko handed it to her. She stood up and began swinging it confidently. The boys watched, then, when she was done, applauded. Aura smiled and gave a small bow before giving Leiko's weapon back and sitting next to her.

"How did you get so good?" she asked, even more depressed.

"I've been around weapon-makers a long time," Aura explained. "The Smith is a friend of my mom's."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a second, appreciating the cold drops of rain in the warm weather.

"So," began Aura, awkwardly, "How long have you liked him?"

Leiko chuckled dryly, sounding so much like her father for a second that it was almost scary.

"Since I can remember, I guess. I mean, growing up, I felt such strong feelings of friendship, but then, about 2 years ago, I just felt… I don't know… _funny._ So I guess that means I've liked him for two years."

"Liked who?" came a kind voice from behind them.

Leiko looked around in horror to see Vidina carrying a Blitzball and staring down at them with his hands on his hips, smiling. Leiko began stuttering idiotically.

"W-w-well it's just this… g-guy… you p-p-probably wouldn't know him… I… I… I, um, he, uh…"

Aura thankfully intervened.

"He's a friend of her brothers," she explained. Leiko gave her a beyond-grateful expression.

"Oh. Well, he like you back?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, then hung her head. "But probably not."

"Aw, well, the important thing is, don't waste your time. If he hasn't shown feelings for you in _two years,_ maybe he won't at all, you know?"

Leiko looked up at him seriously.

"But I like him so much," she said, making eye contact.

Aura stared, dumbfounded by her boldness. Vidina either didn't get the hint or ignored it on purpose, however.

"Have you tried telling him?" he asked quietly.

"Once," she said. "But my brother came over and I… I just couldn't."

It was true. About a month or so after Leiko first realized she had a crush on him, she had finally had the opportunity to tell him. They were in the jungle, watching Aura talking her two brothers out of jumping off a cliff into the lake, when Leiko realized they were alone. It was a perfect moment, she thought; the sun was shining, it was warm, the thick smell of flowers hung in the air, birds were singing sweetly, and no fiends had made an appearance in over a week. She had turned to him, her heart beating so fast she thought it would burst, and opened her mouth to tell him, but her brother came crashing through the woods, asking Vidina to intervene for Aura and talk her brothers out of the dangerous stunt. Leiko had never found a more perfect moment, and, as time went by, and her feelings grew, she found it more and more difficult to tell him. Eventually she had just given up.

"Oh, well, maybe he's just too shy, you know?"

"I don't think so," she said. "I know him pretty well and he doesn't seem the type."

"Maybe he's got a side you never seen before, ya?"

Leiko looked at him again, confused, but he grinned and walked away, joining the other boys and twirling his Blitzball on his finger.

"What was that?" Aura whispered after a moment.

"No idea," whispered back Leiko.

She continued to watch the boys play in the sand until the rain came down heavy and they were forced to retreat back to their parents in the meal tent.


	10. Big Break

When the six of them entered, it was to find only their parents sitting in the tent, eating and talking.

It was always odd for them to see their parents age over the years, but the adults never seemed bothered by it. It might be due to the fact that they had all aged almost gracefully (except Auron, who nobody remembered ever being young), but the kids just kind of figured that maybe it was such a gradual process that no one ever really noticed it until they looked back at old photos or movies.

Auron, of course, had almost completely gone silver now, but some small amounts of black remained here and there, while the streak at his widow's peak had turned a soft white. His wrinkles were more pronounced, but his scar still stood out more than anything else, the wound that had blinded (and killed) him 30 years before. Leilani still wore her hair long, the lazy curls still a soft and gentle brown, but her temples had begun to go a beautiful silver. She had a few crows' feet, but they were still faint.

Wakka's signature curl above his head was now a striking sable color that stood out in the orange, while Lulu's merely looked like someone had placed strands of tinsel among the black. They had a few wrinkles, too. Wakka's were the general laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and cheeks when he smiled, while Lulu's only one was a deep crevasse in between her eyebrows, the result of frequent frowning.

Tidus had never bothered to cut his hair; it was still the same, shaggy blonde, only now with a few more grays here and there amongst the layers. He barely had any wrinkles at all, and still seemed to have that air of youth about him. Yuna, as always, was smiling. Her hair was silvery blonde, and she had remained miraculously wrinkle-free except for a few very, very faint lines at the corners of her eyes. She waved the children in gleefully.

They sat down next to their parents slowly, resting their weapons against the empty table behind them. Yuna licked her thumb and began wiping black smudges from her son Jecht's face, much to his dismay. He tried to struggle away, but his dad cruelly held him still while his mother finished wiping his cheek. She smiled, but he turned red and crossed his arms, avoiding his chuckling brother's gaze.

"Come on, Mom, I've got friends…" he seethed.

"Not anymore!" his dad laughed.

Yuna gave a reprimanding look and said, "Then they should have told you your face was dirty."

Jecht rolled his eyes and began whispering angrily with Braska. She _tsked_ and turned her attention to Leiko and Alex.

"So, I heard you have a break from school," she said.

Alex, whose mouth was full of rice, nodded enthusiastically and grunted. Leiko made a disgusted face and answered, "Yeah, we've got more than a week off, including the weekends."

"So nine days, huh?" asked Wakka. "What're you gonna do?"

They thought for a moment, Alex swallowing his food.

"Haven't thought about it," he admitted. "I dunno, maybe hang out with my friend Phil or something. The sports fields and courts are reserved for the stupid high school teams, so sports are out. Plus, the arcade closed down this winter, and the mall sucks anyway."

Wakka didn't quite understand all of it, but asked, "Why don't you come stay here?"

Everyone looked at each other and Auron's usual frown turned into a deep scowl.

"Too dangerous," he said. "Alex has a knack for trouble."

"Like his father," Leilani said airily.

"I didn't start any of it," he argued, but she kissed his cheek and he realized she was joking. Sometimes he really was a stiff.

"They did get their weapons today," added Tidus. "My kids can teach them how to fight, they're good at it."

"And they could stay with us," Lulu chimed in. "We have room, if they don't mind sharing one."

Alex and Leiko gave excited, but nervous, glances.

"I don't know," said Leilani doubtfully. "What would they do the whole time?"

Vidina stood up behind Alex and Leiko and put his arms around their shoulders and head between theirs. He gave his most winning smile and said, "They'd be with us."

Leiko blushed furiously and suddenly felt her lunch slosh uncomfortably in her stomach as it turned. She gave her mom a frantic, pleading look.

"Well, it might be a nice break, for all of us. Auron?" her mother asked. He was deep in thought.

He sighed, crossed his arms, and said, "Don't get into any trouble or you're coming straight home. Understand?"

The teenagers all whooped and high-fived each other, laughing.

"Yes!" laughed Braska. "Now you can come swimming with us!"

"And diving!" yelled Jecht.

"And Blitzball!" finished Vidina with high-fives to the boys.

Aura and Leiko just rolled their eyes, smirking. Auron and Leilani stood up.

"Well, you'd better go pack," she said.

They all excused themselves, waving frantically, and Alex and Leiko couldn't help but smile as they thought of how incredible their upcoming break would be.


	11. Settling In

When the four of them got back to the village, only Lulu was there at the house to greet them.

"Wakka and Vidina went to patrol," she said. "They'll be back in time for dinner. Why not get settled?"

She pointed out a small side-room next to two other rooms, all protected by curtains for privacy. While they took their backpacks inside, Lulu stayed behind to speak with Auron and Leilani.

"You're sure it's not a bother?" Leilani asked.

"Braska and Jecht usually go out by themselves, so it'll keep Vidina out of my hair to have Alex over." Lulu answered, smiling. "And I've always wanted a daughter."

"What about Aura?"

"Do you remember how much we talked after we first met?"

"You barely said a thing!" Leilani laughed.

"Aura talks _less._"

"She talks a lot with Leiko."

"Well, Leiko's more outgoing. She doesn't have _two_ brothers to look after."

"She's not _all_ sunshine and roses," warned Leilani. "She gets into her fair share of trouble."

"Mostly caused by her brother," added Auron.

"Don't pretend you weren't like that at his age," Leilani joked, giggling.

Auron smiled. Alex and Leiko finished putting their few things in the dresser in the guest room, then came back out to say goodbye to their parents. Leiko hugged her mother first. Alex threw a few teasing punches with his dad before they, too, hugged and said goodbye. Alex and Leiko switched, hugging the other parent. Leilani was making a small fuss over Alex's spiky hair, trying in vain to smooth it down, while Auron took his daughter aside for a moment.

Keeping his tone low, he said, "Be careful."

"I will, Dad."

"I mean it." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Your brother gets into more trouble than he notices, and you're the type to try and rescue him. I love you both too much to see you get hurt."

It was a rare little moment between them. Their father never really talked much, but when he did, he knew exactly how to say it. They hugged and Auron put his arm around Leilani. They waved goodbye as they walked out of the village and back towards the jungle, and, eventually, the shore. The kids stood watching them until they were out of sight, but lingered a moment longer afterwards before going back inside the hut to think about home.


	12. Manawa Ino

After almost two hours of walking around the village (which their father had warned was easy to get lost in; it had grown several times in size since the defeat of Sin), Alex and Leiko decided to go back and see if Lulu needed help preparing dinner. They were just crossing the square, however, when somebody slammed into Leiko, knocking her over on to the ground. She fell hard, slamming her head on the stone pathway and landing in the mud. She lied still, dazed and hurt. She felt a hand turn her over onto her back, and a voice ask, "Are you okay?"

She opened her eyes and looked up into a pair of some of the most beautiful ones she had ever seen. They were as deep blue as the sea, but they looked concerned. She suddenly realized what had happened and sat up. Alex was kneeling down, caring, supporting her.

"I'm gonna get a cold cloth and water," said Alex, running back towards Lulu's hut.

"You okay?" the other boy repeated.

"Yeah, some jerk just knocked me down is all," she replied.

"Oh, ya, uh, sorry about that. Me and the boys were just playing Blitzball, you know, and the ball flew this way. I tried to catch it, but, looks like I knocked you down. Sorry."

She tried to give him a dirty look, but he looked so worried and so… _handsome_… that she found it difficult to do so. Instead, she began stuttering as she had earlier that day in front of Vidina.

"W-w-well uh, d-d-don't w-w-worry about it, I'm sure I'll be f-f-fine."

"Did I do that to you or do you normally stutter?"

She blushed and shook her head, trying with difficulty to steady her voice.

"I'm… I'm fine, I don't stutter, I'm just… cold."

"Oh, here," the boy said, and took his thin coat off, wrapping it around her shoulders. "It's the least I can do. Besides walk you home, of course."

"Oh, uh, okay."

He brought his arm up underneath hers, leading her gently back to the hut via her directions. When they reached the front door, Lulu and Alex were both just leaving. When they saw the pair coming up to the door, they hurried and pulled a chair out by the table for her to sit down. Lulu took the wet cloth and began wiping the mud off of Leiko's face with care.

"Well, she's home safe, so I'm just gonna go, ya?" said the boy.

Alex glared at him for some reason, but Lulu said, "Thanks, Manawa."

The boy left and Leiko sighed relief.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"A local boy, plays Blitzball for the Aurochs with Vidina. His name is Manawa Ino."

Leiko's stomach turned at the mention of both of their names. As Lulu gently helped wipe the mud from her face, Leiko began thinking of the boy she had just met. His deep blue eyes… long, flowing blonde hair… She sighed a little.

"Are you alright?" Lulu asked. Leiko snapped to attention.

"Yeah, why?"

"I thought I had hurt you."

"No. Thanks for this, by the way."

Lulu smiled.

"My pleasure." She suddenly turned to Alex. "And thank you, too, Alex, that was kind of you to help your sister."

Alex blushed and shuffled his feet.

"No problem," he muttered, looking at the floor.

Suddenly, two excited male voices could be heard outside the hut, getting closer and closer by the second. Two men, almost identical except for age, burst through the door and looked around in concern. They were Wakka and Vidina, red-faced and out of breath. Wakka knelt down by Leiko and waved his hand in front of her face. She blinked and backed away, confused. Lulu made an impatient huff, placing her hands on her hips.

"She's fine, Wakka, she just hit her head!"

"How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked, ignoring his wife.

"Two."

Wakka looked at his fingers, then, with his other hand, counted, mouthing the numbers as he did so. Leiko laughed and he smiled, tousling her hair.

"Well, your sense of humor's intact, anyway."

Vidina came over and sat down in the seat opposite, a worried look on his face. Her stomach did loop-de-loops again… Would it ever get any rest?

"You're sure you're okay? You look kinda… I dunno… _red._"

"That's just because I've been washing her face," said Lulu.

Leiko knew that it wasn't only because of that.

"I'm fine, thanks," she said.

"Well, you need anything, just ask, okay? I'm right here for you. Really, I'll be right in the next room tonight, so if you need to puke or somethin', you just call me, I'll show you where the bathroom is, ya?"

Lulu gave him a light smack with the wet rag.

"Grow up," she said.

They sat in silence for a second before Alex asked, "So, how'd you guys find out so fast, anyway? We weren't even here for five minutes before you came back."

"Manawa told us," said Wakka. "He ran right up, said a guest of ours was hurt. Seemed pretty upset, but he's always a good boy, ya? He did the right thing to tell us." 

Vidina suddenly made a movement, but when Leiko looked over, he was still.

"How'd he know we were guests?" asked Alex.

"He's been over for dinner now and then, him and the whole Aurochs team, including Braska and Jecht. Manawa asks me for some of my moves, but I said, 'No way, only my son is gonna be the MVP, you know?'"

Vidina rolled his eyes, but smiled.

"Better get dinner started," said Lulu. Wakka went to join her in the small curtained area that was the kitchen. Leiko peeked in, curious, and saw a sink, something that resembled an oven, another thing that resembled a stove, and some stone tables that they used as counters. The curtain closed and Leiko stretched, relaxed.

"Hey, you should take a shower," said Alex. "You look like crap. Literally."

"Hey shut up, Alex." Leiko stuck her tongue out at him.

"If it would make you feel better, you can," said Vidina. "I'll show you where it is."

"Oh, uh, okay."

Vidina showed her where everything was, then closed the curtain and left. Leiko looked at it, and saw that it was quite thick. Upon examining it, she realized that in between the sheets of cloth that ran to the floor, there were thick wooden slats that prevented anyone from seeing in or out. She got in the tub and showered, thinking awkwardly about Vidina and Manawa.


	13. Dirty Dishes

Dinner was quiet and strange. First, Lulu and Wakka were the only ones really talking, hardly paying any notice at all to the three kids. Second, Alex seemed to be very deep in thought and possibly angry at something. Finally, every time Leiko looked away, she felt that Vidina was _staring_ at her. Whenever she looked up, however, he was either looking at his plate or politely watching his parents. When they had all finished their dinners, Leiko stood and insisted on helping to clean the dishes.

"No," Lulu argued, "That's Vidina's job."

"Wouldn't mind a little help," he said quietly. Something seemed to be bothering _him_, too.

While Lulu and Wakka went outside and Alex snuck away quickly into the guest room, Leiko helped bring the dishes into the kitchen. Vidina had his back to her, scrubbing the plates in a wide sink full of soapy water. Leiko looked around for a second, confused. He noticed.

"What're you looking for?"

"Where do I put the uneaten food? You don't have a fridge or garbage."

"Put it in that bag," he said, pointing to one hanging on the wall.

"Just dump it in?"

He nodded.

"We take it to the fields and they use it as fertilizer. A whole lot better than using something else, ya?"

Leiko smiled and tossed the scraps into the bag, tying it up afterwards. Vidina was still washing the dishes, but it looked as though he still had a fair amount left to clean.

_Well, it's not like I'm doing anything else,_ she thought.

Leiko plunged her hands into the foam, feeling around for a sponge at the bottom.

"What are you doing?" he almost yelled.  
"Calm down!" she said, laughing. "I'm just helping you out. You said before that you wouldn't mind help."

"Ya well this is still _my_ job! My parents will get mad if they see you helping me. My dad says that hard work meant for you is hard work that you must do. Or something like that… Either way…"

Leiko shrugged and said, "I do the dishes at my own house, so we'll just say I'm doing mine."

A smile spread slowly across Vidina's face as he nodded.

"Fair enough."

He handed her a sponge and she rinsed it out, grabbing the rest of the dishes and placing them in the water. Five minutes later, they were almost done, reaching for the last plate in the sink. Their hands suddenly brushed against each other's, and Vidina whipped his own out of the water so fast that it splashed all over the floor. Leiko just stared at him. He blushed, looking at the mess at his feet.

"Sorry, I just thought it was, uh, something gross, you know?"

"Well it was," she said, bringing her hand up slowly and examining the wrinkles. "My hand looks like a mutant prune."

He grinned sheepishly and cleaned the mess up with a rag while Leiko finished scrubbing the last plate and placed it gently on the rack to dry. She stretched, reaching her fingers up to the ceiling and standing on her tiptoes. Vidina stretched, also, groaning loudly and flexing his muscles as he did so. Leiko laughed. Encouraged, Vidina continued, making louder and louder groans and more exaggerated gestures. Leiko began laughing so hard that she had to support herself on the counter. She didn't know why it was _that_ funny, really, but it just felt good to laugh, especially with him. He finally stopped, turning back towards her with a grin.

"I guess I'm relaxed, ya?"

"I dunno, did you flex your ears, too?"

He rubbed his ears quickly, being careful to avoid his earrings, and laughed.

"Now I did!"

Leiko smiled back appreciatively.

"So what do you like to do for fun around here?" she asked.

"Blitzball and patrol eat up a lotta time, you know?"

"You don't do anything besides that?" She sounded disappointed.

"Well, ya, but, nothing you'd be interested in."

"Oh yeah, 'cause Blitzball's totally the only thing I'm interested in."

He raised his hands in submission.

"Alright, alright. But you gotta promise not to laugh."

"Laugh at what?"

Vidina coaxed her over to the curtained area next to the guest quarters.

"This is my room," he explained, holding open the curtain. When she stepped inside, she simply had to smile.

There were medals and banners pinned up on the wall, trophies on a few shelves, different Blitzballs on the dresser, and a small desk hidden in the corner. He walked over and opened one of the drawers, putting a finger to his lips as he did so. Leiko followed him and frowned slightly as he procured a thick, shabby book.

"I've got more," he whispered, "But this is the most recent."

He opened it up, and Leiko peered inside. It was full of drawings, beautiful, beautiful drawings. There were scenic landscapes, several villagers, different fiends, Blitzball team symbols, plants, animals, buildings, and anything else he could find to draw. She made a soft noise and he backed away, embarrassed.

"You don't like 'em?"

"Oh, Vidina, they're beautiful."

He grinned and shuffled his feet.

"Does anyone else know about these?"

He looked up in alarm, shaking his head.

"No one!"

"You mean you've got all this talent, and you've never _shown_ anyone?!"

"You think I've got talent?"

"Yeah! I'd give my right arm to be able to draw like this!"

Vidina just stared at her.

"It's a joke," she said. "I'm right-handed."

He smiled and nodded. She walked over, handing the book back to him. Suddenly, another page slipped out and onto the floor, face up. Leiko squinted to see what it was, but he immediately swooped down and picked it up, hiding it behind his back.

"That one's private!" he almost shouted.

"Fine," she said defensively. He took the book back from her and hid the drawing inside of it. He slid the book back into his drawer and closed it. When he stood, Leiko was gazing at him with a dazed look in her eye. Concerned, he waved at her. She snapped to attention immediately and gave him a guilty look.

"Sorry, zoned out there for a minute."

"It's ok."

They stood in strange silence for a minute before Leiko began to walk away.

"Hey, where you going?"

"I'm gonna brush my teeth," she said, yawning. "I'm kinda tired."

He nodded.

"Hey, um, listen, I was thinking… I'm not on patrol tomorrow and there's no Blitzball practice…"

Leiko's heart flew up into her throat.

"You wanna do something?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah!" he said.

"Sure!"

"Cool! Tell your brother, too, ya?"

Leiko's heart suddenly fell. It was strictly friendly. She nodded a little sadly and left the room.

"Goodnight," he called out.

"Night," he heard from the next room.

Vidina sat down on his bed, running his fingers through his tall hair, sighing, and falling asleep.


	14. Bad Morning

The next morning, Leiko rose with a sudden hope, then sadness. She was hanging out with Vidina…!

But with others, as well.

She groaned and got up, rubbing her back and glancing over to the other bed where her brother should lie sleeping. The bed was empty, however. She felt the sheets.

_Cold._

She changed quickly from her pajamas into a pair of shorts and a tank top, slipping on her sandals before she left the room. When she entered the kitchen, Wakka was sitting at the table, eating a stalk of some type of vegetable.

"Hey, morning sleepy-head," he said.

"What time is it?" she blurted.

"Oh, about 10 or so. You normally sleep this late?"

"No! Where are the others?" she asked, frustrated.

"They left over half an hour ago. What's your hurry?"

"I was supposed to hang out with them!"

"Well, go, they're probably at the beach!"

"Thanks!"

She bolted out the door, paused, and peered back in the door.

"I forgot to say good morning!"

"You just did! Go!"

She ran off again, and Wakka couldn't help but smile as she almost knocked over two people, still stopping to say excuse me before heading off again.


	15. Worse Morning

Leiko reached the end of the jungle within minutes, slowing down to catch her breath as she walked down towards the sounds of excitement on the beach. She glanced around a tree, planning carefully to run out and throw a ball of mud at her brother for ditching her. She bent down by a tree, and began searching for a soft spot, but a sudden snap of branches made her jump up and hide behind a rock for safety in case it was a fiend. She'd rather make sure it didn't go anywhere near her friends… so she certainly didn't want to run towards the beach with a monster trailing after her. When she realized it was two boys, however, she breathed relief and tried to stand, but the mention of her name made her stay put.

"…But I don't know what to say to her."

"Tell her the truth. What harm can it possibly do?"

"I don't wanna stress her out, you know?"

She immediately recognized the voices of Vidina and Braska. She remained sitting behind the rock, breathing quietly and mentally punishing herself for listening in. But she had to know… Vidina had mentioned her _by name_…

"Listen, if Leiko found out, yeah, she might get upset, but at least she'll know!" argued Braska.

"But I don't wanna hurt her!" Vidina snapped.

"How can you possibly hurt her?"

"She might… I don't know… feel different."

Her heart leapt a little. Were they talking about what she thought they were talking about?

"Listen, the sooner she knows, the better. You don't want to make her think the wrong thing, do you?"

"No, but the truth… I don't know how she'd take it."

Her heart suddenly fell.

"She'd take it like a normal girl, you know that. But like I said, she needs to know. You can't go on like this."

"But if I don't want things to be weird with us, you know? I like hanging out with her and Alex. I don't want to ruin that by telling her about my… _feelings_."

"Or lack thereof, apparently."

She heard Vidina scoff.

"You know why I won't tell her. The last thing I need is her getting upset and then her whole break is ruined."

"You're gonna go on for a whole more year before you say anything?"

"No, I just… I'll tell her at the end of break, ya?"

"What about being friends?"

"If she still wants to, okay, if not, that stinks, but at least it'll be off my shoulders."

Braska _tsked_.

"Your funeral," he said.

They walked back to the shore, leaving Leiko gratefully alone as she cried silent tears, sitting alone behind the rock.


	16. She had to know

Vidina walked back to the beach slowly, Braska's words weighing heavily on his heart. The _last_ thing he wanted to do was ruin his friendship with Leiko and Alex. Telling her the truth would probably just hurt her. There were tons of reasons he could give her why it wouldn't work between them…

He was older than her by three years. It didn't seem like much, but the difference between 19 and 16 was bigger than most people thought.

Their parents were all best friends. If any of them married another, it would be like marrying a brother or a sister.

Her father was scary as all hell.

She was still in school, while Vidina had finished the small Besaid educational system two years ago.

He would start traveling soon with the Aurochs as they headed towards the championships.

And, finally, but most importantly, Leiko was from America and Vidina was from Spira. They were completely different places… they liked to visit each, but to live there…? Vidina wasn't sure it could work.

But Leiko's own father and mother…

Auron had chosen to stay with Leilani on her world, get married, and raise a family. But the circumstances were different… Auron had just… _fallen_ into Leilani's life, literally. Auron was the link between the two worlds… maybe the union of two from each one was… was…

Vidina smacked his head and grunted in frustration.

He could never leave the Aurochs, Leiko could never leave her home, and they could never be together. He made up his mind…

He had to tell her.

It didn't matter if it messed things up – she had to know.


	17. Invitation

Leiko had just finished wiping her eyes on her bare arms, still sniffling and hiccupping a little. Two years… _wasted._ She had liked Vidina for all that time, only to have to hear about his feelings ("Or lack thereof, apparently," as Braska had put it) while hiding behind a stone. She kicked at the ground, but her thin sandal bent underneath and she stubbed her toe on another rock. She cried out in pain, nursing it, and sobbing some more.

_Some days just aren't worth it,_ she thought.

"Need some help?" came a familiar voice.

Leiko looked around, but there was no one there. She turned her attention back to her foot, but suddenly, something jumped down from the trees in front of her. She jumped up in fright, ready to run, but relaxed and breathed a shaky sigh of relief when she saw that it was Manawa.

"Hope I didn't scare you," he said, something in his expression odd. When Leiko looked more deeply, however, whatever it had been was gone.

"Just a little," she said, sniffling. She leaned against the rock.

"Hey, now, what's bothering you?"

Leiko shook her head.

"Come on."

She shook it again, more vehemently this time. Manawa put his hands on his hips and grinned, shaking his wavy blonde hair back behind his shoulders. His deep blue eyes pierced into hers.

"Out with it, ya?"

Leiko smiled sadly.

"I just overheard the guy I like say he doesn't like me."

"Well then why is he friends with you?"

"Not like that," she said, frowning. "Like… _that,_" she gestured with her hand.

Manawa's eyes got a little wider and his brows went up.

"Oooh, like _that._"

Leiko nodded. Manawa walked over and leaned against the stone as well, looking off into the jungle.

"Well, if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't mean to be, you know? My mom, she always said to me, 'The Gods never close a curtain without opening another.' Maybe this was just a way to tell you to look for someone else, ya?"

Leiko shrugged. "I guess so," she muttered, staring at her feet.

"Hey, tell you what," he said, touching her shoulder, "You come by my place tonight, I'll take you to go get some fruit, ya? Besaid's got the best Manju fruit in Spira!"

Leiko smiled, looking up.

"I'd like that."


	18. Torn

It was several hours later, and Leiko was lying on the bed in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking… her brain felt like it was going to melt.

On one hand, she still truly felt for Vidina… even if he didn't return her feelings.

But on the other hand, there was Manawa, who was making a conscious effort to be kind to her and even asked her to spend time with him… just the two of them!

Her heart fluttered and fell, fluttered and fell. Half of her wanted one thing while the other half wanted something else… was she falling for Manawa or was it just because she thought he was falling for her? If he truly was, and her feelings weren't genuine, he would get hurt, and she didn't want to do that to him…

Suddenly, it hit her.

Vidina hadn't wanted to hurt _her._ Maybe… maybe that was his way of saying that he wasn't sure if he really did feel the same as her or if he just did because she might, too. It was almost obvious how she felt, how could he not pick up on it? He might be a muscle head, but he certainly wasn't stupid. But then why wouldn't he tell her? The day before on the beach…

"_Maybe he's just too shy, you know?"_

But what if he _did_ know, and he really just needed to tell her to forget about it? The very thought felt like a knife in her chest. She picked up a pillow and threw it over her face, muffling her frustrated scream.

"You alright?"

Leiko looked up and saw Alex standing in the doorway. She threw the pillow back and sat up.

"No," she muttered.

Alex crossed the room and sat down next to her.

"What's up?" he asked. "You never came down to the beach."

"You know," she said, embarrassed.

"Ah."

"Yeah."

They sat quietly for a few seconds.

"Maybe you should just… you know… tell him."

"I can't," she whispered.

"You're being a baby," he snapped.

She scowled at him.

"Have you ever felt this way about someone?"

"Yes," he said. "But I at least told her about it."

"I don't remember you ever having a girlfriend."

He gave her a significant look.

"Oh. So, she brushed you off, huh?"

"Yep. Kinda sucked, but I got over her eventually. And now, I'm the hottest dude in the school. Hope she's kicking herself," he added maliciously.

"Thanks for the advice," Leiko said with a laugh, rolling her eyes.

He shoved her lightly, but his face soon turned serious again.

"But really, sis, you gotta tell him. You'll be kicking _yourself_ if you don't. I mean, he's not gonna be on the market forever, you know? Some other girl is just gonna come along and he'll just focus on her because that's what he can get or figure he won't do any better. But he can. Just tell him."

She thought for a moment before asking, "You really think I'm the best he can have?"

"Well, you're really annoying, and sometimes you snore, but…"

She smacked him and he smiled.

"You know I meant it, sis."

She nodded and swallowed hard. "Now I just have to wait for an opportune moment."

"Well it just so happens that there's one tonight," he boasted.

"What do you mean?"

Alex pointed out the window to several people setting things up on the beach. Leiko squinted, but could make out the Spira language's words of, "Manju Harvest" written on a banner.

"Why is that opportune?" she asked.

"Because, numbskull, the adults will all be there and the rest of us can do whatever we want."

"Didn't they just have a party the other night?"

"That was the oldest village member's birthday party. Everybody turns out for that, it's traditional. Same here, except they can make alcohol out of Manju fruit, so kids are typically not invited."

"How do you know?"

"Jecht told me," he said.

"Well, Vidina's old enough - there's no age limit on drinking here, I think. He'll wanna go to that."

"Even if there was free booze, and you were him, would you wanna hang out with your Mom and Dad all night?"

Leiko thought.

"But Wakka and Lulu are cool."

"Not to him! Not to any teenager!"

"Braska thinks his Mom is cool. I mean, she _did_ bring the Eternal Calm."

"Please, Braska thinks that _our_ Dad is a Saint."

"Really?"  
"He said he almost wishes there was something big for him to defeat so that he could prove himself like the Legendary Guardian Sir Auron."

Leiko snickered.

"Legendary, sure, but he still drinks out of the milk gallon."

They both started laughing.

"Remember that time Mom caught him off guard and she scared him so bad the milk came out his nose?"

"Yeah!"

They laughed at this for a few minutes before it finally died off and Leiko started thinking about her situation again. Could she really get Vidina alone for a few minutes? Maybe he would just be on patrol the whole night, maybe she wouldn't even see him…

Suddenly, someone burst through the curtain, but just as quickly, leapt back out. The pair of them watched the door anxiously until they heard a familiar voice.

"Sorry, should've knocked on the wall. Can I come in?" asked Vidina.

Leiko nodded, but realized that he obviously couldn't see her and said, "Yeah."

The two of them made eye contact as soon as he came through the door. Leiko looked away, blushing, no shadows to hide her face this time.

"What's up?" Her brother to the rescue.

"Just wanted to let you guys know I'm not patrolling tonight. They gave me a break so I'll be able to hang out tonight!"

"That's great!"

"Ya! Where you wanna meet up?"

"The usual spot on the beach?"

"Sure, sounds good. I'm gonna go tell the others, I'll see you later!"

"Bye," Alex and Leiko said in unison.

Vidina suddenly popped his head back in.

"Oh, around 7:30 ok?"

They nodded.

"See ya!"

Leiko smoothed her pillows down neatly.

"Now's your chance!" breathed Alex excitedly.

"I'm not going."

"What? Why not?"

Leiko told him about meeting Manawa in the jungle, but left out the part where she had overheard Vidina and Braska talking about her. His look suddenly darkened and he crossed his arms.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'll tell you what's wrong: that guy. I don't trust him one bit."

"What's he ever done to you?"

"Nothing, it's just that… ah, never mind…"

"No, what? Tell me, please!"

Alex scowled for a second before replying, "He gives me the creeps."

"What?"

"He does! Something about him is just not right."

"Is that it?"

"Don't make it sound so simple! I've trusted my gut my whole life and it's never steered me wrong. This time, it's telling me this guy is bad news."

"You mean to tell me that your_ stomach_ says that a guy who has done nothing but nice things for me is _bad_?"

"That's the point! You just met this guy yesterday when he hit you in the head and now he wants to hang out and eat fruit? Something there's not right… Why did he care so much about seeing you got home okay?"

Leiko was severely offended. She stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe because he actually _cares_ about someone?"

Alex stood up as well, crossing his arms.

"Not that much."

"You just said I'm the best Vidina could have, what makes Manawa any different?"

"Because Vidina actually deserves you!"

"How do you know Manawa doesn't?"

"Because my stomach…"

"Oh, screw your stomach!"

She was fuming. Who did her brother think he was, telling her that a man he met _once_ was _bad?_

Then again, she had only talked to him twice…

Leiko stomped her foot.

"I'm not going!"

"Good!" yelled Alex.

"I meant to the beach." She took a breath. "I'm going with Manawa."

Alex tried to argue, but Leiko held up her hand for silence.

"There's no point putting my heart on the line with Vidina if there's someone else to fall back on."

Alex looked utterly disgusted.

"You're shallow and cruel. I was wrong; you do deserve him."

He stalked out the door angrily and Leiko sat down on the bed to try and convince herself she was making the right decision. After an hour, she was still failing.


	19. Romantic

It was finally evening; Leiko sighed and stretched, still unsure of what she was doing. When she left her room, it was to find Alex straightening his shirt in front of a mirror. When he saw her, he made a face and silently looked away.

"Bye," she said.

He grunted. Leiko shook her head and started on the pathway towards Manawa's house, going over the directions he gave her in her head. She began walking down a small, deserted pathway thick with beautiful flowers that had closed for the night. It was warm, the stars were bright, and the moon was almost full. She smiled. Maybe this _was_ the right decision. She exited the alleyway and walked onto a larger road, a few people here and there at scattered shops, buying a new piece of jewelry or sandals. She waved at a familiar villager, but didn't see the man standing in front of her. She smacked into him, almost losing her balance, apologizing furiously. When she looked up, however, it was into Vidina's deep, dark eyes and smiling face.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm on my way to hang out," she said with surprising confidence.

"You're going the wrong way," he said, pointing the other direction. "Beach is on the other side."

"I'm not going to the beach."

Vidina's smile suddenly faded.

"Why not?"

"Well, I just…," she started, but saw something shimmer in Vidina's hand. "What's that?" she asked.

He looked down at it, then quickly hid it behind his back. "Nothing," he blurted.

"Let me see," she laughed, holding out her hand.

Vidina brought it from behind his back begrudgingly. It was a small, beautiful shell hanging from a thin silver chain. It was gorgeous.

"Wow!" she said. "Who's that for?"

Vidina shuffled his feet, blushing.

"A girl," he muttered.

"Oh." Leiko looked a little let down.

"Why?" he asked quickly.

"It's really pretty."

"You think so?" He suddenly sounded excited. "I mean, I really want her to like it, you know? It means a lot to me, and, I want it to mean a lot to her, too."

"There's no way she won't love it," she said sadly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just…," she sighed a little. "She's very lucky."

Vidina looked straight into her eyes, holding her gaze for a few brief, yet endless seconds, then looked down at the necklace in his hands.

"I found this shell on the beach once," he began. "I must've been maybe five? But I was kind of lonely, walking along the shore, when I just saw this… thing… shining through the sand. I ran up and dug it out… I brought it to my dad, and he says these shells are really rare. The things that live inside of them live for _ages,_ and most of them die so far out at sea that nobody can collect the shells, and they don't normally get brought in by the tide. But the species is considered good luck for people in love… some people eat them if they catch them, thinking they bring happiness in relationships, you know? If you give the person you love the shell, then you share a bond forever. My dad says it's because once the things find a mate, that's it, they're together for life. If one of them dies, the other goes, too, because it's so lonely. Some people think it's depressing."

"I think it's romantic."

Vidina turned back to her.

"I really like this girl. I had the shell put on a necklace, because I want her to have this, to show how much I care… even if she doesn't feel the same way, you know?"

"How could she not?"

"Leiko," he started, but the words seemed caught in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something again, but frowned at something behind her. She turned around to see Manawa, grinning broadly and standing there with his hands on his hips.

"You ready?" he asked her.

Leiko turned back to Vidina frantically. He had already pocketed the necklace, however, and began to walk away, waving and saying, "I'll see you later."

Leiko's heart suddenly tugged at her. Was she really making the right decision? How could she be sure that what she had heard earlier was really what she thought it was? She looked at Manawa… he was smiling… _oddly._ Maybe Alex was right…

"So what do you want to do?" he asked, holding his hand out.

Leiko examined it, keeping her hands clasped in front of her in thought.

"Wanna go to the beach?" she asked suddenly.

"Why would I want to go there?"

"Well, everyone else seems to be going, I think it might be nice."

Manawa shrugged.

"I guess so."

"You don't want to?"

"Eh," he said, moving his hand side to side in a _so-so_ manner. "It's whatever you want."

Leiko frowned slightly, but led the way towards the beach. Maybe making a decision tonight wouldn't be as hard as she thought.


	20. Decisions

When they reached the usual spot, no one was even around. Disappointed, Leiko looked around her for the others frantically. She didn't even _hear_ anything. She looked back to Manawa in desperation, but he smiled, shrugged, and said, "Guess they're not here."

"But they said they would be!"

He walked towards her slowly. "Maybe they just… didn't care."

She looked up at him angrily. "How could you say that?"

"Easy. I play Blitz with 3 of them; I think I know them better than you do."

"I've known them since I was _born._"

"I'm around them more often."

"My parents and theirs go way back!"

"Doesn't count!"

Leiko was furious. Why were they trying to best each other? It was petty. She turned away, fuming, and looked to the sea. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Leiko saw a large Blitzball shoot out from the darkness and straight in her direction. Lifting her hands up instinctively, she caught the ball inches from her face. Twice as mad, she whirled in that direction, glaring as if to burn a hole into whoever threw it. Her anger abated somewhat, however, when the fiery mane of Vidina could be made out in the woods.

"I can't believe you threw it that far!" he yelled.

"Told you, I've got the best arm on the team," said Braska confidently.

"Yeah well I've got the best fist," argued Jecht, raising one of his.

"I'm still the most attractive," said Alex, his hands on his hips. "You _wish_ I could grace this team with my presence."

They shoved him playfully, while Aura soon made her appearance, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

"Why couldn't Leiko come?" she asked.

"'Cause I had to get ready to pound you with this first!" yelled Leiko, throwing the ball in their direction. It was off course, however (Leiko never was very good at any sports besides running), heading towards the sea, but Vidina lunged at it quickly, catching it and falling roughly on his side in the sand, not moving. Leiko ran over, panicking, throwing herself down beside his curled body. His eyes were closed. She touched his shoulder gently, leaning over to check if he was still breathing.

_Oh my God, I've killed him. I fell in love with him, and then I killed him._

Suddenly, she felt something graze her face. She whipped her head around to face the big toe of Vidina's left foot. She leapt up, making a disgusted noise, and kicked sand at his back. He got up slowly, laughing and brushing himself off. Leiko put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"What?" he asked, grinning.

"I thought I killed you!"

"If I got killed every time I caught a Blitzball, I'd have died a long time ago!"

"Well it's still not funny!"

Vidina put his arm around her, shaking her affectionately. She blushed, looking at Manawa, who was crossing his arms, a distant smirk on his face.

"Lighten up," Vidina said, letting go and tossing the Blitzball back and forth between his hands. He threw it lightly towards her, and she caught it, looking at Manawa again. She threw it to him, and he tossed it roughly aside to Vidina again. He caught it, but the two did not make eye contact. Manawa walked down to Leiko and put his hand on her back. Like her mother, Leiko had a strange quirk: she didn't like her back or shoulders touched by anyone she wasn't secure with. So, when she jumped away, pulling her shoulders up tensely, Manawa gave her a scandalized look.

"Sorry, I hurt my back when you knocked me over," she lied, feeling guilty. "It's still kind of sore."

Manawa knit his eyebrows together in care, but Alex ran up clapped him hard on the back, making him stumble and turn around angrily. Alex gave him a swarthy grin and motioned to Vidina, who tossed the Blitzball to him. Alex spun it on his finger, backing away.

"Let's see your skills," he challenged, kicking the ball high up into the air. Jecht lunged forward, catching it, and ran down the beach, everyone except the two girls giving chase. Aura stood next to Leiko, arms crossed, watching the boys go. They didn't say anything for a minute, but soon Aura sighed and, letting her arms down, faced her friend.

"You know, falling for another boy (albeit one with a nice body), isn't going to help you get over Vidina."

"I know."

"Then why are you…?"

"I'm making a decision tonight," she said.

"Based on Manawa and Vidina's actions, I assume?" She sounded unimpressed.

Leiko turned to her in surprise.

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," she said airily, raising her eyebrows in a clear indication that she wasn't finished talking. She didn't continue, however. Leiko rolled her eyes and wheedled her a little bit. Aura sighed again.

"Okay, there's something wrong if you just want a guy because you think he might like you. You need to look at the… bigger picture, you know?"

Leiko nodded.

"But what if I like them both?"

Aura raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Caught, and a little ashamed, Leiko looked down and kicked the sand at her feet.

"Okay, okay, but Manawa's still not a bad guy."

"That doesn't mean you should date him. You have misgivings about Vidina as it is, even with your huge crush on him, but you'll do whatever it takes for some guy who was just _nice_ to you?"

Leiko shook her head stubbornly.

"I just want to see if there are guys – besides Vidina, of course – who are worth it. Manawa just happened to come along."

Aura sighed yet again.

"I just hope you know what you're doing. Vidina's like a brother to me, and you're like a sister. I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"Like Vidina cares," she muttered, but her heart felt differently. She was so unsure of herself, so doubtful of Vidina's feelings… if she didn't make a decision tonight, she really was going to go crazy.

"Look," Aura comforted, "Whenever I can't make up my mind about something, my mom says to look inside my heart."

Leiko smiled.

"My mom says the same thing."

Aura nodded.

"I used to think it was just a bunch of crap until I actually needed to do it."

Leiko raised her eyebrows, but Aura held up a hand.

"It wasn't about boys," she said. "It was about my career."

Leiko snickered unwillingly. Aura gave her a scandalized look, but Leiko needed to explain.

"I don't think I've ever heard anyone here use the word career."

"Yeah, well, I had to make a choice, and I think I made the right one."

"What was the decision about?" This was news to Leiko, which almost hurt, as she and Aura told each other just about everything. This lack of vital information made Leiko feel a little worthless, or distant. She _did_ live in a whole other world…

"Whether or not to play Blitzball."

Leiko's jaw dropped.

"Your brothers love Blitzball! I just didn't think you…"

Aura looked away, blushing.

"I really wanted to, you know, but then the other part of me needed to be there for them… I'm their Guardian."

"But I thought… I thought Guardians were… the past, you know?"

Aura shook her head.

"There aren't Summoners or anything left, but… Blitzball players and those making reenactment pilgrimages still need someone to guide them. Fiends are tough, especially at night."

"I think your brothers can take care of themselves!"

"Not when they're playing, they can't. If all three of us were in the sphere, and they were attacked, I could never forgive myself. I looked in my heart… I truly loved Blitzball. I still do. But… I can't play, because my brothers are more important to me than some _stupid_ sport."

"I don't think it's stupid," whispered Leiko.

"Please," snarled Aura uncharacteristically. "We always give looks when the boys are talking about it."

"But we don't mock the game," Leiko argued, "Just how that's all the guys can think about. Yes, we can like the game, even love it, but we don't obsess over it like the boys do."

Aura shrugged.

"I made my choice. You need to make yours."

Leiko was still caught.

"I'll figure it out," she sighed.


	21. Another Invitation

They were all lying on the beach, looking up at the stars. There was sand in Leiko's shorts, but the chafe was well worth it to be lying next to Vidina, listening to him talk about the figures in the sky.

"And that star, there? The bright blue one?" he pointed up to a sapphire one shining almost directly above them. Leiko nodded.

"My dad says that that's my uncle, Chappu, looking down. He died before I was born, but my dad says they were really close. That's why I'm named after him. Well… my middle name, anyway. I think my mom thought it'd be better to call me by Vidina, since she and Chappu used to date."

"Really?"

"Yeah, made my dad jealous, but he said he would've done anything for his brother, even give up my mom."

"Wow."

Everyone else made a thoughtful grunting noise.

"You know," continued Alex, "My mom's ex-boyfriend stopped by the house once, on her birthday… you should've seen the look my dad gave him when he kissed her on the cheek."

Leiko gave a noise of assent.

"Sir Auron's the jealous type?" asked Braska.

"Shut up," Jecht kidded, "We already know you're in love with him."

Braska punched his arm, hard. Jecht rubbed it with a scathing look at his brother. Vidina sighed, fiddling with the Blitzball near him in the sand.

"Who's up for another round?" he asked.

Braska and Jecht shrugged, but Alex and Manawa sat straight up. Alex pushed him away and jumped to his feet, waving frantically. Vidina threw if as far as he could, and the other four boys ran after it, laughing. Vidina, Aura, and Leiko all stood. Vidina looked suddenly uncomfortable, and Aura began walking away.

"Where are you going?" asked Leiko, not particularly concerned. She wanted this precious minute alone with Vidina.

"To watch over my brothers," she said. "I am their Guardian, after all."

She gave a small smile and ran down the beach after them. As soon as she was out of sight, Leiko's heart leapt up into her throat and she found she could barely breathe. Vidina wasn't saying anything, but he didn't need to, really. Leiko appreciated these rare, priceless moments when she could spend time with him uninterrupted. She smiled and ran her feet through the sand, feeling the cold grains cover her feet. She closed her eyes and inhaled the salty smell of the ocean, the sweet scent of flowers wafting on the breeze, the aroma of spring and life everywhere around her. When she opened her eyes again, it was to find Vidina staring at her dazedly. He snapped back to attention when she looked at him and he blushed.

"Sorry," he said, "Just thinking."

"About what?" she asked quietly.

Vidina breathed.

"There's an open Blitzball tournament coming up. I wasn't going to go, but… it's in Luca, and I thought… Well…" He rubbed the back of his head, looking out towards the sea. Leiko watched him in concern and hope. He glanced back and caught her gaze.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go?"

"Vidina, I'd love to!"

She almost reached out to hug him, and his arms spread out a little, but they both restrained themselves and looked away again.

"Of course, you'd have to put up with Braska, Jecht and them, but Manawa's going already, you know? I know you'd like to see him play," he added, almost ruefully.

"But your dad says you're the MVP."

They both started laughing, but it wasn't that funny, really. It was just a way to let off the steam and anxiety that seemed to be surrounding them lately.

"But, you know, I'd like to see you there," he said seriously.

"I'd be honored to see you play," she said.

Vidina reached out and grasped her hand. Leiko's heart flew past her throat, all the way up to her lips, and they parted slightly as she leaned up slowly…

"You playing or not?!" shouted Jecht.

Vidina whipped around angrily and glared at him. Leiko had never seen him make a face like that before, and she gave him a look of concern. He noticed, and, embarrassed, dropped her hand and ran off towards the others.

"Pass that ball or I'll toss you in the ocean!" he yelled distantly to his friend.

Leiko was left alone on the beach with her hopeful (though somewhat confused) thoughts.


	22. Attacked

Later on, as the boys were still playing on the beach, Leiko and Aura made their way back home through the forest. Leiko seemed exquisitely happy, and shivered intermittently, as if something was trying to come up her throat and she was forcing it down. After about five of these little convulsions, Aura had to ask.

"What is _up_ with you?"

Leiko couldn't hold it any longer.

"VIDINA HELD MY HAND!" she squealed, her hands barely covering the huge grin on her face.

"Finally," Aura sneered. "But is that it? You're having seizures because he held your hand? Did he even ask you out?"

Leiko shook her head, still wearing a silly grin.

"Almost as good! He invited me to watch him Blitz in Luca! And he wanted me there specifically!" She gave another happy little yell. Aura rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course he wanted you there specifically, he _asked_ you…"

But her dry remarks did nothing to calm Leiko down.

"And, and, and – guess what?"

"What?" she groaned.

"I almost kissed him!" she giggled, her voice barely above a whisper.

At this, Aura turned around with a surprised smile.

"Now that's better! Did he try to kiss back? What stopped you guys?"

"Your brother Jecht!" she snapped, suddenly angry. "He was bugging Vidina to play."

Aura sighed.

"He ruins so many good moments. But we love him, anyway."

"And I'm not sure if he was trying to kiss back… he almost hugged me… but then again, he did say something about Manawa…"

"Huh?"

"He said that a perk of coming to watch him in Luca would be the fact that Manawa would be there, too."

"Hmm." Aura made a thoughtful noise.

"What?"

"He probably thinks… and correctly… that he has some competition with him over you."

"Over me? I'm not even sure if Vidina…"

"Listen, Leiko – if the boy invites you to watch him play sports and holds your hand and wants to hug you and would've let you kiss him, then, yeah, I think he likes you."

Leiko dwelt on this for a minute. But the necklace… who was that meant for?

"But there was this conversation we had earlier…" Leiko told her about running into Vidina in the marketplace, and all about the shell. "Who do you think that was for?"

"Probably his mother," she answered quickly.

"His mother? But he's had it since he was five!"

"Maybe this year he felt it was appropriate to give it to her. He might be moving from the house soon – that would mean this is his last year living with her. They're pretty close."

Leiko tsked and shrugged, about to argue, but there was a snap of twigs behind them. She turned around, grinning, remembering the last time that happened Vidina had burst out of the trees and attacked her brother.

"Come on, I know you're there. If you're going to be sneaky you should at least be quiet."

A shadow moved in between the trees, but it was much too large… the palms bent to the sides to allow whatever it was passage… Leiko's mouth opened in horror as two glaring yellow eyes shone out from the darkness. A second later, the beast opened its mouth to reveal rows upon rows of sharp, rotting teeth that sent hot reeking breath in their direction. Leiko's eyes watered and she had to stifle herself from retching, while Aura fiddled in her purse for her Moogle puppet.

"It's gone!" she cried. "I must have dropped it on the beach!"

"Well I didn't bother to bring my mace!" Leiko yelled.

The monster advanced on them, stretching its giant clawed hands wide and baring them. It let out a roar that shook the branches, showering the pair with old fruits and leaves. It jumped forward, directly in front of them, while another sharp noise came from behind. Terrified, they turned around, and saw three hungry wolves line up side-by-side behind them, snarling and licking their chops. They were completely surrounded… Where was the village guard? Aura panicked and leapt over the wolves, yelling for Leiko to follow. When she tried, however, one lunged at her and she was forced to retreat, the beasts closing the circle even tighter. Leiko spun around, panicking, Aura long gone towards the village, probably calling for help. She knew, however, that it would not appear in time. She got down on her knees, placed her hands behind her neck, and curled up into the tightest ball she could manage. She felt the beasts' hot breath all around her…

"Take that!" Leiko heard a dull _thwok_ and looked up to find Vidina standing in front of her protectively, his Blitzball flying back into his hand after he had hit the largest of the fiends in the face. He turned around and held out a hand to help Leiko up. She took it gratefully and pressed her back against his, so that they were not exposed.

"What do we do?" she cried.

"Fight!" he yelled.

"With what?"

Vidina bent down and tossed her a bad fruit that resembled a coconut. Leiko hurled it at one of the wolves, hitting it square in the face. It yelped in pain and ran off, but the other two stayed near, snarling and drooling. Vidina had his eyes on the biggest beast, which was done recovering and roared menacingly. He glanced back to the wolves, and quickly threw his Blitzball at one of them, hitting it and making it disappear into a cloud of pyreflies. He tossed his ball at the largest again, hitting it in the nose. It howled in pain and snarled. Leiko grabbed another large fruit, and threw it at the wolf. It hit it, but she was not strong enough yet, and it remained alive. She wondered where the other one had gone, but only briefly, as the remaining wolf leapt for her throat. She yelped and brought her arms up in defense, where the wolf latched on, sinking its teeth deep into her skin. She screamed in pain, and Vidina whipped around to help her, but the giant monster smacked him roughly aside. Leiko was on her own again. She tossed another fruit, but it missed its mark. It lunged again, but Vidina kicked out, hitting it in the throat and killing it. The giant monster slammed a huge fist down at Leiko, but she rolled away just in time. It towered over Vidina, so close that a large string of drool landed right next to his face. He grimaced, but the monster was readying itself for an attack. Leiko grabbed the last fruit she could find and threw it as hard as she could at the back of the monster's head. Thankfully, it hit its mark, and the beast turned around furiously. Vidina grabbed his Blitzball and ran to Leiko's side, concentrating. It burst into flames and he threw it back into the monster's face. It shrieked, and the acrid stench of burning fur filled the air. Leiko backed away as Vidina hit the blinded monster again and again, until it finally began to back off. It suddenly turned and ran, but Vidina pursued it for a few paces before it disappeared into the shadows, still howling. He came back, brushing himself off.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Leiko immediately threw her arms around him. She didn't care if he thought it was friendly, or more, she didn't mean for their ordeal to be an excuse for physical contact; she just wanted to hold him, plain and simple. It was almost instinctive as her hands latched behind his back and she buried her face into his neck, breathing in the tropical aroma she had come to recognize as the smell of Besaid, and its flowers, and now, as love. She felt Vidina's arms wrap around her, one hand on her back and one in her hair, caressing it lovingly. His nose was against her neck, and they simply held each other for several long, lovely moments, rocking side to side. Eventually, though, as all good things do, their embrace came to an end, and they broke apart, smiling and relieved. Leiko touched his shoulder gently.

"You saved my life, Vidina."

"You returned the favor," he said, taking her hand in his and examining her wound. He took the bandana from around his brow and wrapped it around her bleeding arm, his hair still flowing upwards. When he was finished, he looked up and stared into her eyes deeply. She blushed and looked away.

"Let's go home, ya?" Vidina wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her back towards the village silently. There was no need for words.


	23. Senylma & Aunt Rikku

Vidina and Leiko sat down on opposite seats, facing each other

"What happened?" yelled Lulu, taking in the sight of Leiko's now blood-soaked bandage that had formerly been Vidina's hairband.

"We got attacked by fiends," he said, "And one of them bit Leiko."

Lulu frowned over it, muttering healing magic quickly. The wound soon began to knit, though slowly. Lulu had not had much practice recently. When she was finished, she put her hands on her hips and scowled at her son.

"Did you get her into this?" she asked suspiciously.

"No!" shouted Leiko, jumping up to her feet. "He saved my life while Aura ran off to get help!"

Aura, who had been cowering in the corner silently, now stepped forward and nodded.

"I thought Leiko was following me, but I didn't turn around until I got to the village. I knew I couldn't do much except call for someone…" She looked deeply embarrassed.

Lulu touched her face gently in comfort.

"Well, the important thing is you're safe."

She looked back to Vidina and kissed his cheek.

"Ma," he grumbled, blushing.

"I'm going to get a search party to get everyone else back safely. Aura – go home and tell your parents."

She nodded and ran out the door.

"Vidina…"

"I'll come with you, mom!"

"No," she said sharply, holding up a hand. "Someone needs to stay here with Leiko. Make sure her wound doesn't open again, and help her out."

"Aunt Lulu…" Leiko tried, but she shook her finger and walked out of the doorway.

After a few seconds, Vidina turned away without so much as a look at Leiko and closed the curtain to his room behind him. She tsked and went to her own bed, falling asleep quickly on the soft, warm cot.

* * *

"Wake up, sis."

Leiko rolled over, grumbling. What time was it? She looked over to where her clock should be, but after a brief, confused moment realized that she was in Besaid. She looked back to her brother, Alex, who was holding a glass of water out to her. She took it gratefully and sat up, allowing Alex to sit on the bed.

"How's your arm?" he asked.

Leiko looked down.

"Can't complain," she said, taking in the distinct lack of damage with a smile.

"Good. The team's heading out for Luca today."

"TODAY?!"

Leiko leapt out of bed and looked around her in a panic, wondering what to pack first.

"Chill out, sis, chill out! They're not leaving for another few hours! Aunt Rikku has to bring the airship first."

"Aunt Rikku?"

Leiko's face brightened instantly. Although they had not had as much contact through the years as they had with every other one of her father's friends, Leiko and Alex loved Rikku just as much. She was bright, sunny, adventurous, and always knew how to put a smile on someone's face. Her daughter, Senylma, was just as much of a livewire as her mother, and twice as beautiful. Alex seemed to dislike her for some reason, however, and though their mother warned them of prejudice against the Al-Bhed, their father always seemed to change the subject when Senylma came up. Leiko wondered whether her father knew something they didn't, but had never bothered to ask.

"Yeah, and she's bringing the _Araceli_!"

"REALLY?!"

Leiko squealed in delight. Rikku's name was synonymous with airships in Spira; she helped design and build them, and her newest airship, the _Araceli_, was famous already as being the best created so far. Rikku used it only for people close to her, however, as she did not trust many others. Some, she had explained, still bore hatred towards the "heathens," and would put on a nice smile but later wreak havoc against their machina. Once, an elderly man had _somehow_ partially dismantled the engine of an airship, and, when caught, threw mud at Rikku and Brother, calling them heretics and babbling about impurity. Rikku, however, took it all in stride, as most of Spira relied on them for brilliant new concepts and kind, accepting hearts.

"When will she get here?"

"A couple of hours. Come on, get your stuff together!"

"Are you coming, too, Alex?"

"I think Aunt Lulu and Uncle Wakka deserve a break, don't you?"

She smiled and shrugged.

"I guess so."

They packed the few things they had brought with them, running out and placing them in the main room, scuttling into the kitchen to wolf down some fruit. Vidina and Wakka were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where are the dudes?" asked Alex through a mouthful of food.

"Vidina and Wakka? They're at the Temple, praying for victory."

She shook her head a little, sighing.

"You don't pray for victory, you earn it."

Leiko glanced at her, then turned back to Alex with a surprised face. Lulu was tough sometimes. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew in through the glassless window of the hut, knocking over several pieces of woven furniture and whipping their hair back from their heads.

"Aunt Rikku!" Alex yelped, bolting out the door and down near the beach behind Lulu's house. Sure enough, a small but advanced-looking airship floated above the sea, two girls quickly sliding down a long, metallic rope. Leiko and Lulu joined Alex on the beach, but suddenly, Rikku bolted up the shore and immediately swept the two teenagers up in a tight hug.

"You two have gotten so big!" she squealed.

They grunted happily through their pressurized throats. Rikku let them go and quickly wrapped her arms around Lulu, who returned one gently, smiling so brightly her red eyes looked more like rubies than anything else. Alex sighed and crossed his arms, but his smile quickly faded as Rikku's daughter Senylma came leaping up the shore.

"Everything's set, Mom," she said, dusting her hands off.

Alex glared at her. Her long, golden hair whipped in the breeze, the two braids at her temples tucked neatly behind her ears. She had a pair of goggles on top of her head, along with a silvery spiked glove on her left hand. She looked over, her green, swirled eyes burning into his. He looked away impatiently. Senylma gave a half-smile and a shrug and focused her attention on Leiko instead.

"I haven't seen you for months!" she exclaimed.

They embraced quickly, then broke apart and walked back up to the hut, chattering like old pals. Alex watched them leave with disgust etched on his features and a heavy, burning knot in the pit of his stomach.


	24. Road to Luca

Leiko waved goodbye from the airship happily, even though she knew that as they climbed, the islanders would no longer be able to see them. Rikku and Brother were hovering over the controls, arguing in Al-Bhed, while Senylma played with her twin braids mindlessly. Alex was staring determinedly at his knuckles, bored. The Aurochs were taking a boat to Luca, and before they left, Manawa shrugged and explained that it was "tradition." Aura and everyone else had gone along on the ship to support their family members. Leiko missed them already, but Rikku had seemed upbeat.

"You guys'll get to see Luca for a whole day before the tournament, when it's a little less crowded! Be happy!"

But her kind words now seemed insignificant in the stale air heavy with electrical noises and the soft, droning hum of the engines. Senylma suddenly sighed, running her fingers along the spiked knuckles of her glove.

"What's wrong?" asked Leiko.

She walked over and sat down between the two of them on the floor with a grunt.

"I think I'd much rather have gone on the boat. It may be longer, but quality over quantity, you know?"

"In that case you can have both, huh?"

She nodded.

"I'd at least get to spend more time with my cousins! I hardly get to see them because I'm constantly working on the airships with Mom, Uncle Brother and Grandpa Cid. He has got some _major_ issues…"

Leiko snickered.

"You wanna know about issues? My Uncles used to hold my mom down when she was a kid and fart on her head. Then they'd hold her there so she'd have to smell it… A couple of years ago, when she wasn't looking, they did the same thing to Alex and me."

Senylma laughed.

"It's not funny," Alex muttered. "It was really gross…"

"Not as gross as the mess in your room! I think Mom's right, you're going to grow life in there with your garbage! Eventually, your gym shorts are gonna crawl away all by themselves!"

The girls laughed at his expense and he leapt up, clenching his fists angrily.

"What would you know?" he suddenly snapped, pointing an angry finger at Senylma.

She stood up, too, her smile replaced by a scandalized glare.

"Well excuse me if I don't have the rich life over in Earth! I actually have to _work_ here, Alex!"

"I work!"

"Where?"

"At school…!" he tried to defend, but Senylma laughed mockingly.

"School here is a _luxury,_" she sneered. "I wish I had your life."

"Well don't because you make it miserable enough already!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Alex stormed off to the mechanical room while Senylma grunted and ran into an adjacent room, quickly slamming the door.

"What was that?" Rikku asked.

Leiko shrugged, somehow feeling that their argument was _her_ fault somehow. Rikku only rolled her eyes and continued checking the screen in front of her, reading off coordinates to Brother.

When they had finally reached Luca, Alex and Senylma seemed to have calmed down, but only a little. The two had gotten along well when they were younger, but about a year ago, they suddenly could no longer seem to bear each other's company. Alex seemed to be the main protagonist; Leiko remembered the fight started when Senylma had run up and hugged him in their backyard, but Alex overbalanced and fell in the pond. Ever since then, he had not seemed capable of forgiving her. It was petty, certainly, but Leiko knew better than to get involved. When Senylma was around Alex always turned into a moping, bitter Drama Queen.

"I haven't been to Luca in weeks!" Senylma sighed. "I miss it here."

Alex and Leiko said nothing, awed by the beautiful, ornately decorated buildings and magical items for sale. Besaid had _nothing_ on this place… Senylma took in their faces with a smile.

"When I first came here when I was 5 I had the same reaction," she said nostalgically.

"We don't wanna hear your life story," Alex snapped, still looking to the top of the Stadium.

Senylma scowled and turned away, hurt and angry. Leiko whispered in his ear reproachfully.

"You could be a little bit nicer. She is related to Aunt Rikku, and you love_ her_."

"Yeah but she's just… she's just…" He glanced at her and frowned hatefully. "She's unbearable!" he hissed.

"Why? You've had a stick up your butt ever since last year…"

"It's none of your business, okay?" he yelled, earning a few concerned glances from the people passing behind them. He grunted and walked away, close behind Brother and Rikku.

Senylma turned around and gave her a grateful look.

"Thanks anyway," she sorrowfully.

Leiko shrugged.

"At least you don't have to live with him," she said.

She half-smiled again and began walking towards a vendor booth. Rikku whispered something to Brother, who immediately walked over to keep an eye on her daughter. They began an instant conversation in Al-Bhed, excitedly chattering at a large weapon stall. Rikku waved goodbye.

"See ya later!"

They waved back.

"I'll show you where we're gonna be staying," she said, turning back to Alex and Leiko. "You know, when your Mom first came to Spira, your dad kinda protected her, you know? She never got to see all of this her first trip around, and I don't think she got to take all of what she_ did _see in because she wasn't used toany of it. Too much at one time, you know? You guys are lucky; you at least got to experience Besaid for a couple years first."

They made noises of general assent, remaining otherwise silent all the way until they reached the small inn on the outer rim of Luca.


	25. The Café

Leiko threw herself on the small (but still comfortable) bed, sighing happily as Alex shuffled over to the room next to hers, grumbling noisily about something.

"What's the problem?" she called, impatience in her voice.

"What are we gonna do here until the tournament tomorrow?"  
"I don't know…," she said, suddenly thoughtful. "I didn't really think about it, you know, hanging with Aunt Rikku is hanging with Aunt Rikku."

Alex entered the doorway, crossing his arms, a near-perfect imitation of their father, minus his somewhat smaller size. He had their father's broad shoulders and strong chin, not to mention oddly flowing spiked hair, but he was a little shorter and not as muscular. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"We could… you know… see the sights."

"Oh, like the other night when Mom and Dad found out we went to Spira?"

Alex blushed, stammering, "Well that was different! Now we _are_ in Spira, and Aunt Rikku didn't exactly tell us to stay put, now did she? Besides, it's not like Luca's really all that dangerous, you know?"

Leiko was unconvinced, but her boredom and curiosity somewhat outweighed this. She sighed.

"Should we ask?"

"Who? Rin? He won't care."

"What about Aunt Rikku?"

"She left to help Senylma prepare for her first tournament," he said, a definite sneer in his tone. Leiko chose to ignore this, but Alex went on. "I mean, it's not even like she'll be a great Blitzer, you know? She goes around treasure-hunting with her Mom, she doesn't train or anything! When Jecht, Braska, Vidina and I play, it's serious, but Senylma…?" He scoffed. "She's not even playing for Besaid."

"That's because she doesn't _live_ there, Alex. She has to play for the Psyches, she's Al-Bhed!"

"She doesn't _have_ to," he muttered, pouting.

Leiko rolled her eyes and stood up, walking towards his figure in the doorway.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To see the sights," she said airily. _At least that'll distract him_, she thought.

It worked.

A few minutes later, they were on the streets, searching around for a nice café or interesting vendor. Their father had given them each a nice amount of Gil to play around with in Spira, but they were unsure of how to spend it. It was not very hard-earned (Auron had done a fantastic job on a couple rather large fiends without so much as a scratch), so they would have no guilt tossing it away on something frivolous for themselves. They were in a narrow, deserted alleyway when Alex seemed to have found something.

"Hey, Leiko, check this out."

She ran over to see what her brother was looking at. His nose was millimeters away from being squashed against the window of a small café, which boasted hundreds of small pictures along the walls inside.

"Reminds me of the place in town," he said. "Where they take photos of everyone who's been there."

"Yeah," she said, a little dazed. "Wanna go in?"

"Sure," he said quickly, as if he had already been thinking it.

They entered quietly, glancing around them. There weren't many people there – in fact, the only ones there were Leiko, Alex, a tall, dark-haired woman and a tired-looking Ronso. He looked up at them as they entered, then got up from the table and left without a word.

"Dad says they're the quiet type," whispered Leiko.

"Duh," snapped Alex.

"What can I do you for?" asked the dark-haired woman.

"Two Manju juices, please," said Alex, trying his best impersonation of a sophisticated adult. The woman raised her eyebrows with a half-smile, but remained silent. She laid the glasses in front of them at the table and walked smoothly into the closed kitchen, leaving the two of them to glance at the photos on the wall. Many were of people, just smiling or waving, though most were in completely different places.

"Guess they weren't just taken here," Leiko said.

"I guess not."

They got up, their glasses still in their hands, and continued around the café.

"Hey hey, Alex, it's Tidus and Wakka!"

Sure enough, there was a picture of the two of them, their arms around each other in front of the Luca stadium. They looked young, though Leiko noticed that they each had their wedding rings on, so it could not have been much more than 15 years prior. They continued searching, but did not look long before they both noticed a rather large photograph of Yuna, smiling, with a beautifully ornate frame. The caption upon it read, "Lady Yuna – Bringer of the Eternal Calm, and Spira's Ray of Light." They smiled, and noticed a few more pictures of familiar faces surrounding Yuna's. Some included her, one, in fact…

"Dad?"

At Alex's soft exclamation, Leiko whipped around and examined the wall where he was looking. Sure enough, there was a very crowded photograph that included not only their father, but also Tidus, Yuna, Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri, and Rikku. Their father looked stoic and unusually grim, even for him. Leiko's eyes searched frantically for more, and they noticed another group photo, which included all of the previous people, as well as their mother, Leilani, and Vidina, still a baby and wrapped up in his mother's arms. They were clearly in Besaid. Alex pointed out yet another, gasping. The caption read, "High Summoner Braska, Father to Lady Yuna and Friend to All." Below that, another line read, "Left – Legendary Guardian Sir Auron" and "Right – Sir Jecht." Alex whistled at their father's photo. He was young, with long, wild black hair that flowed out behind him in a ponytail. His right eye was still intact, his face unscarred (but still intimidating), and he looked both thoroughly amused and annoyed at the same time. Jecht's arms were crossed, as well, and he wore a haughty, carefree expression. Braska, in the middle, had his arms around his two friends, and was smiling as wide as he could. Alex thought it was a peaceful, but depressing picture. Save for their father, those men were dead. And even their father had died twice already… their mother often joked that even though he was nearly eight years her senior, he would outlive them all. Alex smiled.

"Who's this?"

Alex walked over to his sister, who had a wary expression on her face and was pointing her finger at an old, dusty photo, which was in the nicest frame by far of any of them, including Yuna's. It looked like it was solid gold, and in the center of a very intricate pattern, there was a dark, blood-colored ruby. But it was not the frame that had bothered her; it was the photo. Auron, younger than he was in the photo with his two friends, was sitting on the front of a gorgeous fountain, a very beautiful woman leaning against his shoulder happily. Auron was not truly smiling, but he wasn't glowering, either. Who was this woman?

"That's my mother," came the woman's voice from behind, startling them. They looked at her in alarm, but she continued. "Her name's Amira."


	26. History

"Amira?" asked Leiko uncertainly. Hadn't she heard that name somewhere before…?

The woman smirked, as though she knew what Leiko had been thinking.

"I can see your father in your eyes," she said, crossing the café to stand beside them. "Sharp and determined."

"Y-you know my father?" she stammered.

"Of course! Legendary Guardian Sir Auron – dead twice and still walking this earth."

Leiko and Alex looked at each other.

"Yeah, but, how did you know he was our father?" Alex whispered.

The woman chuckled.

"You were exclaiming 'Dad!' and pointed to the picture," she said, gesturing to the photo of the group. "I know of all of their children, save Sir Auron's," she said. "At least, until now, I suppose." She smiled benevolently, but her gray eyes were sharp and piercing. Alex looked away uncomfortably, but Leiko kept her gaze. Amira…

"Your mother knew my father when they were kids," she said slowly.

"You can tell that from the photograph," the woman said.

Leiko shook her head.

"My father warned me about her."

At this, the woman's face fell a little, though not in fear or hurt, but rather… was it… sadness?

"Ah, my mother, she was brilliant. My grandfather was a rich priest in Bevelle, but my grandmother died when my mother was still very young. She was a Summoner, and died on her pilgrimage."

Leiko and Alex sucked in their breath, but remained silent, allowing the woman to continue.

"When your father's parents died in an attack on their village by Sin, my grandfather, Medwin, brought him to Bevelle. Your father was a rebellious sort, at first," she snickered, "Or so my mother told me. But, he soon excelled. My mother, however, fell in love with him. When the time came for High Summoner Braska to leave on his pilgrimage, my mother, she…" The woman bit her lip, looking away. "She was training to become a Summoner, herself. Not of her own choice, however; my grandfather wanted her to be famous, and glorious, but she did not want to follow that path. And can you blame her? My poor grandmother… But my grandfather wasn't exactly the most moral of men, even for a priest – what am I saying? _Especially_ for a priest. But back then, almost all of them were corrupt, wanting nothing but fame and power even at the cost of others." She sighed, breathing a little before continuing once more. "He wanted my mother to succeed in _everything,_ no matter what. He saw Braska on his way to glory, even as a heretic whose family he despised, while my mother pined away for your father, who himself was preparing to accompany his friend on the pilgrimage. Medwin saw it as the perfect arrangement; have your father marry my mother, thereby ruining Braska's pilgrimage (your father, at the time, was his only Guardian) and allowing her to succeed in hers along with the man of her dreams."

The woman scoffed.

"He soon realized that, if Amira did succeed in her pilgrimage, that her fame would outshine his, despite the blood connection and her death. But, after careful consideration, he discovered that he could manipulate my mother into giving up her pilgrimage if he arranged her marriage to Auron. Therefore, he would still have the best of both worlds; father-in-law to a talented Warrior Monk whose promotion after the marriage would make both of them more famous, while Braska's mission failed without a Guardian. Your father, however, in a bold move, rejected the proposal. Not only did he lose his promotion to the less talented Wen Kinoc, but his favor with the Temple of Yevon as well. He and Braska were well suited for each other by then!" She laughed, but stopped almost immediately. "Forgive me," she said.

Leiko and Alex both shook their heads, willing her to go on.

"After your father's rejection and news of his apparent death, my mother – to put it plainly – went crazy. She gave up on her Summoner's training and got into politics. When he returned, scarred and bitter, she didn't get a chance to see him, but hope burned in her heart. But ah, he died again, and nearly three years later came back with your mother." She waved a hand towards the group photo they had seen earlier. "She tried to kill them with a wyrm – didn't work. She tried to kill them at Mt. Gagazet – didn't work. Eventually, she gave up, and, after your parents' marriage, wedded a guard and had me a year later. So, you see, I know much of your father's history, even if only through my mother's stories."

Leiko shook her head in confusion.

"But, the times don't match up. If your mom married after my parents did and _then_ had you, you would be about my age, or Alex's."

She nodded.

"I am 16. Just… older."

"Huh?" Alex tilted his head. "I don't get it."

"I had the highest education available through my mother's connections, so I know much more than my peers, however, I didn't quite age gracefully."  
"I'll say!" he snapped. "I thought you were 30!"

Leiko drove her elbow into his side and he fell off. The woman only smiled.

"Luca does that to you," she said. "Amongst other things."

The three of them pondered silently, drifting away, until a heavy hand fell on Leiko's shoulder and she nearly jumped into the air. When she whipped around, it was to face Rikku and Senylma, beaming in excitement.

"The boat's come early!" Senylma nearly screamed. "Our cousins are here!"

Alex let go of his hatred for Senylma for a blessed moment as they ran out the door. Leiko stopped in the doorway, then looked back at the woman.

"What happened to your mother, anyway?"

"She and my father still live in Bevelle."

Leiko gave her a sympathetic smile.

"What's your name?" she asked.

The woman smiled.

"Amorona."

Leiko waved goodbye, strangely satisfied and saddened at the same time.


	27. Arrivals

"HEY!" yelled Braska and Jecht as they leapt off the boat, sweeping up Rikku and Senylma in a tight embrace immediately. Players and passengers poured out of the ship, chattering excitedly. Leiko scanned the sea of them for a tuft of orange hair or a thick blue headband. As the crowd dwindled, Leiko's heart squeezed tightly in her chest, but almost instantly relaxed, twirling in its usual dance as she saw Vidina's smiling face amidst the throng of people. She waved frantically, and he grinned widely as they made eye contact. He jumped over several luggage cases and jogged over to them, clapping Alex hard on the back and joining in Rikku's family's embrace. Leiko immediately felt put out – why did he not greet her? Alex tried to say something, but the group had disbanded and joined them once more.

"Can't believe how fast that ride was!" Jecht exclaimed. "They're not using regular chocobo power, that's for sure!"

"Didn't you go down to the power room?" questioned Braska. "They were using black chocobos!"

"Black chocobos?" he squealed.

"Yeah! And not only that, they were giving them Gysahl greens, and had some motor power besides!"

"Wow!"

Leiko and Alex merely looked at each other and smiled as the two of them began chattering away excitedly about chocobo and electrical power. She looked away towards Vidina, but when she did, her heart leapt straight up into her throat as she realized he was staring at her. She gave a faltering smile and attempted to wave, but he merely looked away towards the stadium.

_Idiot,_ she scolded herself.

"Hey hey!" said a familiar, happy voice. Leiko glanced towards the boat to see Manawa leaping off and running towards her with his arms outstretched. Leiko watched Vidina look at her out of the corner of her eye as they embraced in a hug so tight she was lifted from the ground. He scowled as Manawa set her down, but when she turned towards him his face went passive and mellow. She smirked and walked over to Aura, who had just gotten off the boat, still seasick and a little green. Leiko tried to steady her, but she shooed her away and instead gestured to Senylma.

"What's wrong with her?"

When Leiko saw her face, she was curious, too. Senylma was wearing a deep, angry scowl tinged with disgust and fury. She wasn't looking at anyone in particular, however, so it was difficult to tell who had annoyed her.

"Who do you think she's mad at?" asked Aura, but Leiko merely shook her head and motioned for Alex. He walked over calmly.

"What'd you say to her?" Leiko accused, her hands on her hips. Alex went immediately on the defensive.

"I didn't say anything!" He paused. "Well, not recently, anyway."

"Don't ask," Aura warned. "If she's ticked she might take it out on one of us. She _does_ have her mother's temper, you know."

Leiko and Alex shrugged and helped the team carry their luggage to the Rin's where they were staying.

"Aura, Senylma, you can sleep in my room," said Leiko.

"Yah, boys in Alex's!" shouted Jecht, rushing in with Braska and Vidina.

The rest of the team split up into pairs or triples and chose rooms. Rikku and Senylma were talking in low tones for a few minutes, then they hugged and Rikku began to walk away.

"Hey, where's your mom going?" Leiko asked.

"Oh, she'll be back tomorrow with the rest of the Psyches," she said.

"Get ready to lose, Cuz!" shouted Jecht, sticking his tongue out.

Senylma stuck her own back out and they made faces at each other for a few minutes before they began wrestling and laughing. Alex looked on in disgust while Braska and Aura cheered them on.

"Alex," scolded Leiko, "If they can get past their differences, even as opposing teams, then I think you can, too."

"It's different. They're related. And besides, the triplets are a quarter Al-Bhed, so it's not exactly like they can be racists."

"Yeah, but you like them! If you really don't like the Al-Bhed, then why do you hang with the triplets, and Aunt Yuna and Aunt Rikku?"

She gave a self-satisfied smirk, thinking she had him beat and that maybe he would let go of his venomous hatred, but her hope fell as Alex gave her an angry scowl so close to their Dad's it was actually scary.

"It's not like that, so shut your mouth on things you don't know about."

And with that, he closed the door in her face, Senylma and Jecht still wrestling on the floor behind her.


	28. Meanwhile Back at Home

"What are you doing?" muttered Auron.

Leilani was sitting in Alex's room, adorned with various band posters, drum advertisements, and a few photographs of friends, including some from Besaid. There was a poster of a bikini-clad woman on the back of his door which Auron didn't approve of, but Leilani had let slide because her brother had had one just like it. She looked at it with a wry smile and sighed.

"It's hardly been two days, but it feels like a week."

Auron understood immediately.

"It's been quiet."

"Too quiet."

"Well, we got some… time together."

Leilani grinned and Auron sat beside her on their son's bed. They were silent for a moment, examining the room (Auron frowning slightly as his eyes fell on the girlie poster), absorbing the distinct feel of their son. Instinctively, they moved on to Leiko's bedroom, walking around, touching her things gently. She had dozens of photos in Besaid, like Alex, but the main decoration in her room was a large poster of Hawaii. She also had a small Hibiscus tree just starting to sprout leaves sitting in front of the window. Upon her mother's encouragement (she had the same habit of giving names to all of her plants) Leiko had dubbed the thing "Wikeni," her mother's cousin's name. She had only met her once or twice, as she lived in England with her husband and three children, but liked the name a lot. Leilani smiled as her hand grazed gently over the duct tape on the pot upon which her cousin's name had been written. Auron made a small noise, and Leilani looked up to see him glancing at something on her shelf. He brought it down with a small smile, and Leilani read the box of the DVD.

"Family Memories," she read aloud.

They grinned at each other before walking downstairs to view it.

* * *

Leiko had her thumb in her mouth, sucking loudly as she slept on Auron's chest, a five-year old girl immortalized in video. Auron himself had dozed off on the couch, Leiko had climbed up, and Leilani had taken the video for an occasion such as this. Her husband was presently smiling, no tears in his one good eye, but a sadly amused expression on his face. Leilani slipped her hand through his.

"I didn't think we'd need to see this until they went to college," she said.

"It's only a few days," he grunted. "They'll be back soon."

"Yeah, but if we're like this now, imagine how we'll be once they _do_ go to college."

Auron looked at her sharply.

"Okay, okay, imagine, how _I'll_ be once they go to college," she corrected.

He smiled and continued watching the DVD, by this time showing Alex drawing with markers all over his wall, laughing, "I'm Picasso!" as best as a seven-year-old could. Auron let out his signature dry chuckle and Leilani sneered at him.

"You know you'll miss them, too. I might show it more, but you'll be _devastated_ once they leave," she hissed.

He looked at her, alarmed, but soon smiled and nodded. They continued watching the video for a few more minutes before Leilani made a small, curious noise. Auron raised his eyebrows.

"Do you think that since… since they're away_ anyway_, that we could… maybe visit?"

"Visit where?" he asked.

She flashed him a mischievous smile and Auron understood.


	29. Finally

"So what now?" asked Braska, pushing his dirty blonde hair behind his ears. It was too short to stay there, however, and flopped to his face once more. He blew it back in vain, then gave up and looked to the others.

"Maybe we can get you a haircut," teased Aura.

"Are you kidding?" Jecht suddenly exclaimed. "It's about time he grows it out! I don't want to be the only boy with long hair in this outfit!"

"Well, mine is kinda long," tried Vidina.

"Yeah but it goes _up._ That doesn't count," shot Jecht.

"Hey, how about we drop this and go find something normal to do?" interrupted Leiko.

The others all gave noises of assent, however, Braska and Jecht soon began arguing about what they should all do, while Aura tried to prevent a fistfight and Alex glared at Senylma contemptuously. It was late afternoon, almost evening, and the sun was setting beautifully on the water. Leiko could see it coming in through the window and she gave a longing sigh.

"You okay?" asked Vidina gently.

Leiko looked around, startled, but nodded happily. Vidina walked towards the door, motioning with his head for her to follow. She obeyed, looking behind to make sure no one was following _her,_ but they were all too busy watching Braska and Jecht making cracks at each other and arguing, Aura holding her arms in between them exasperatedly. Vidina held the door open for her, and they walked slowly and quietly down to the sea. An empty boat was swaying soothingly on the water, ornate wooden boxes and chests littering the dock, along with several metal tubs and a few nets. It wasn't exactly romantic, but at least she and Vidina were alone. They stood in a small, hidden pathway between some crates, obscured almost completely from passersby and nosy friends. They simply stared out at the water for a few seconds before Vidina gave a heavy sigh.

"Something wrong?" Leiko asked, concerned.

"No," he said, looking down at the water morosely.

Leiko made a face and nudged him gently. Vidina looked up, saw her expression, and smiled in spite of himself. He gazed out at the water again, his right hand fiddling with something in his pocket.

"Leiko," he began (his saying her name sending shivers down her spine as usual), "Did you ever think – I don't know – maybe, once you're out of school and everything, maybe… _moving_ to Spira?'

She wasn't sure where he was headed with this, but decided to play along.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "I mean, I'd still like to visit my Mom and Dad and Alex and everything, but Spira – Spira's nice. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"I see."

They experienced another awkward silence, during which time Vidina's words with Braska about her the other day weighed heavy on her mind.

"_Listen, if Leiko found out, yeah, she might get upset, but at least she'll know!" _Braska had argued. Vidina had rebutted with, _"But I don't wanna hurt her!"_

"_How can you possibly hurt her?"_

"_She might… I don't know… feel different."_

_Feel different,_ she thought. _But how am I supposed to know how _you_ really feel?_

She gazed up at him, tall, handsome, kind. What could she have to lose? It was better to find out right now rather than think about it until the end of break when Vidina had told Braska he would. They sighed in unison. Leiko was dreading and yet anticipating what would happen, her heart rising and falling, rising and falling, like the waves from the sea against the posts of the dock. She opened her mouth, ready to spill what she had been feeling for almost two years, but closed it almost immediately as something warm and soft brushed against her hand. She looked down, sideways, to see – and feel – Vidina's hand closing around hers. Her heart leapt straight up into her throat and for a brief but eternal second all she wanted to do was scream in joy, but the thought of Vidina's face kept her mind and feet both grounded. She was trying not to smile, afraid that he might take it the wrong way, but was failing miserably. Their fingers suddenly interlaced and Leiko couldn't help but look up into his face. He smiled and brought his hand out from his pocket.

Leiko saw that it was the shell he had shown her last night, dangling beautifully from the silver chain upon which he had strung it, and she barely had time to think before he slid it over her head, hanging it delicately from her neck. She gasped against her will – the shell was warm against her heart, and the surprise of it truly shocked her. She looked back up at Vidina, but his face was deep and troubled. She looked into his eyes imploringly, and he sighed.

She shook her head.

She knew.

It was done.

Vidina gazed at her longingly, a way she had never seen him look at her before, and she smiled gently, her warm brown eyes glittering with the setting sun. Vidina took both of her hands in his now, his palms supporting hers, running his thumbs along her soft skin. Her hands twitched with his touch, and she felt the familiar shivers up and down her spine as they stepped closer to each other. They simply stared into each others' eyes for a few seconds before Vidina began to slowly lean forward. Leiko's lips parted and the last thing she saw before she did the same thing was Vidina closing his eyes. There was a sudden explosion of happiness and pure, indescribable joy as their lips met, finally, and they kissed for the first time, the sweet and salty breeze from the sea enveloping them softly.


	30. Secret

When they broke apart, Leiko was stunned. She blushed furiously, looking away towards the horizon, where the sun had just dipped beneath it. She felt Vidina's hands slip away, and she gave him an alarmed look as he began to turn his back on her.

"Hey, where are you going?" she almost yelled.

To her surprise, he gave her a sad, sorrowful look and sighed.

"I understand," he said, "I just wanted to know, you know?"

"Know what?"

"How you… how you…" he was beginning to stutter, his face turning red.

Leiko raised her eyebrows, looking at him expectantly. He groaned softly and hung his head.

"I just wanted to know how you felt. I didn't mean to offend you, ya?"

"Offend me?"

"Ya! I know how you feel about Manawa and everything, and I hope it goes great, I just… I wanted to see if I could… I mean if _we_ could…"

He turned an even deeper shade of red and stopped talking. Leiko wasn't exactly sure what he meant.

"What? I – I have _no _idea what you're talking about!"

"You and Manawa! Together!"

"So?"

"So? So I just crossed a boundary, ya? He's my teammate; how could I do this to him?"

Leiko was somewhere between laughter and tears.

"Are you _kidding_?"

"No!"

"Where on Earth did you get _that_ idea?"

"I've seen you two! You – you make a lovely couple. I'm sorry that I almost interfered, I just… I just…" He groaned in frustration.

This time, Leiko did laugh, but it came out shaky and a little hysterical. Vidina gave her a concerned look, but she dove forward and kissed him. He pushed her away gently, shaking his head.

"You idiot!" she laughed. "I don't like Manawa; I like _you!_"

"Me?"

"Yes! Why do you think I did this?"

She kissed him again, but this time, he did not push her away.

"But I – I thought you two…?"

"No way! He was just…"

She sighed. It was time to admit it, especially to herself.

"Vidina," she began seriously, contemplating quickly how best to tell him. "I – I've liked you for almost _two years._ But you never really made any advances towards me, and I dropped blatantly obvious hints, even coming close to telling you once, but like I said, you never noticed or flirted back or anything. After meeting Manawa, and after seeing you kind of shrug me off, I just kind of figured – you know – time to move on."

His face was unreadable, but she continued.

"He and I never did anything, and we only ever interacted as friends. I had no motivation to really date him; I just figured I would keep an option open since you didn't seem to be interested."

At this, Vidina's jaw dropped.

"_You_ dropped blatant hints? What about me!"

"You?!"  
"Yeah, me! There were a couple of times when I would ask you to come with me here, or there, or I would tell you that you looked nice, stuff like that, and you always just smiled or whatever and…" He gesticulated wildly, suddenly angry.

Leiko stomped her foot.

"Are you kidding? Whenever you asked me to go somewhere, it was like, 'Come watch me Blitz,' then I would, but you wouldn't even look at me the whole time! Then you would go and hang out with your teammates instead while I had to go back and find Alex! And when you told me I looked good, it was always something like, 'I like your sandals.' What can I say to that? 'Nice belt'?"

"For your information, Leiko, when I didn't look at you during Blitz, it was because I was concentrating on impressing you! And after I was done, I went with my teammates because you looked really bored, I thought it was because of me! And what can I say besides something like 'I like your shirt'? _'Nice lips, let me kiss them'?"_

"Well, yeah!" she snapped.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before starting to giggle. Leiko shook a warning finger at him.

"You screwed up big time! We could have been dating two years ago!"

"You screwed up big time! You could have told me, too, you know!"

She walked closer to him, suppressing her laughter and shaking her head.

"We both screwed up big time. But better we find out now rather than ten years down the road."

He shrugged, but pulled her into a warm, soft hug that lasted well over a full minute. When they broke apart, Leiko was absentmindedly fiddling in her purse with one hand, running her fingers along the beautiful shell on her necklace with the other.

"It really was for me, huh?"

"Told you I hinted at liking you."

"Some hint. _'Who's that for?' – 'A girl_,'" she mocked.

He shoved her playfully.

"Just because you didn't catch on doesn't mean I wasn't making a good attempt."

"I made plenty of good attempts!"

"We're both idiots," he laughed.

"Speak for yourself!"

She stuck her tongue out, and he made a face. When they were done, she grabbed his hand, placing inside of it two small objects. Vidina opened his hand to inspect them; studded earrings with beautiful, shining white pearls. He knew how valuable they were.

"Leiko, I can't accept these," he said, holding them out.

"Yes, you can," she said, closing his hand around them. "I found the pearls when I vacationed in Hawaii with my family one year. They had this weird vendor who offered for people to open shells to get them – we each got some, and I was lucky enough to have found two that matched in size. I don't have my ears pierced, so my mom told me to give them to someone who meant a lot. She, my dad and Alex don't have their ears pierced, either, so I just held on to them. Now I'm glad I did."

"Leiko, are you sure? I just gave you some_ shell_…"

"…That meant a lot to you. These mean a lot to me. Please take them."

He gave her a smile, then took his normal earrings out and replaced them with the pearl studs.

"They look good on you," she said truthfully.

He laughed, the loud, infectious bellow that he had picked up from his father.

"I make them look good!"

She laughed, but Vidina stopped and looked at her seriously for a moment.

"But weren't the studs expensive? How did you get the pearls made into jewelry?"

"Right here in Besaid. Aunt Rikku helped."

He threw his arms around Leiko once more, and her heart nearly exploded with delight. When they pulled away, Vidina held his hand out for hers. She placed it in his, and they began walking back to the Rin's in the twilight. When they reached the door, Leiko stopped.

"What?" he asked.

"What do we tell them?"

"Oh. The truth?"

Leiko knitted her eyebrows in hope and skepticism.

"Are we?"

"Are we what?"

"Dating," she hissed.

"Oh! Ya! I mean – if you want to."

"Well… yeah, I mean, I _would_ like to…"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence before Vidina kissed her again. They broke apart and she stopped him from entering the Inn again.

"But do we _tell_ them?" she asked.

"Well, why not?"

"It might be – you know – _awkward_ right before the game tomorrow. And I'm still staying in Spira for a few more days… do you think our parents would trust us anymore?"

"Well how would yours find out?"

"Alex."

"He'd tell them?"

"Yeah, unless I asked him not to, but even then there's a 50/50 chance. He likes to tease me a lot and they might overhear."

"But they're not even in Spira!"

"If your parents found out, though, which they will, through you or through your teammates or even if any of our friends tell their parents, they will know. And then they'll tell my parents, and by that time they won't exactly want me staying in the same house, you know?"

Vidina understood.

"So when do we tell them?"

"When my Spring Break is done? It's in a few days, but by that time it won't matter since I'll be going back home and they won't worry about us being under the same roof."

"But would they care?"

Leiko raised her eyebrows, and Vidina nodded his head.

"Ya, I guess you're right. They might feel a little weird about us being so close and all."

She scowled, suddenly angry with herself.

"I feel like a shady jerk," she admitted.

Vidina placed his hand on her shoulder.

"No, you had the foresight to know what we would go through, ya? I don't know about you but I sure don't want your brother teasing us the whole time."

"And spying."

"Spying?"

"He would!"

Vidina made a face and Leiko smiled adoringly. They kissed one more time before walking back into Rin's.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry to the... 2 people?... that read this story, but I'm going to have a delay (again) since I'm almost ready to move into my new home. I've been preparing for a while now, getting everything settled, that's why there's been such a huge hiatus. But don't worry, I'm not giving up, hahaha! Just be patient and I'll be back on track in no time!

:)


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